Chuck vs The Snowman
by Ronnie1958
Summary: A spy satellite crashes in the mountains of Alaska and Beckman is forced to send Casey and Alex with Morgan to retrieve classified data. Chuck and Sarah are left behind for support. Nothing happens accidently, satellites don't just happen to drop out of the sky. But who is responsible? And what's so important that everybody wants it? Or is it something else?
1. Chapter 1

Don't own Chuck

Previous Chuck stories and order: 1 Chuck vs Charles, 2 Chuck vs the Love Boat, 3 Chuck vs The Rock, 4 Chuck vs Amtrak, 5 Chuck vs The Dictator, 6 Chuck vs The Name, 7 Chuck vs The Volcano, 8 Chuck vs The Ghost, 9 Chuck vs The Shooter, 10 Chuck vs The Package, 11 Chuck vs The Jade Dragon, 12 Chuck vs Jai-Alai, 13 Chuck vs The Greek, 14 Chuck vs The Suitcase, 15 Chuck vs The Pirate, 16 Chuck vs The Toy Maker, 17 Chuck vs The Sibyl, 18 Chuck vs The House, 19 Chuck vs The Heist, 20 Chuck vs The A-Bomb

"What do you mean it deviated off course then disappeared off the radar? You know how much those things cost? I want NORAD to give me an explanation. No better tell them, they're going to have to go to the White house and explain. I want to see them sitting in front of a Congressional review hearing," yelled General Beckman as she slammed down the phone.

"Ma'am," said one of her aids as he knocked then stuck his head in her door cautiously. "I have a report for you on that lost spy satellite."

"Bring it in I hope someone has been able to find it. Christ, some next generation technology, billions of dollars and the thing goes dark then drops out of the sky. Worse than Skylab spreading debris over Australia, at least they've got a sense of humor, fining NASA for littering. I thought the Director was going to have a cow. I had a hard time holding a straight face, but then again I was on the other side of the desk then," she said as she opened the folder and began to read. "Crap this is going from bad to worse. Has this been confirmed by the NSA?"

"Yes ma'am the report is from the NSA. The satellite deviated course over the North Pole flying over two of our most secret labs before re-entering."

"Why didn't they imitate an auto destruct command? Are those people stoned over there or are they asleep at the wheel. Christ all those diploma's on the walls and not a lick of common sense."

"They say they did on page twelve but the satellite didn't respond. They've tracked it to an area in Denali National Park in Alaska around Mount Foraker."

"You know that's the second highest peak in the Alaska Range. Christ, I can't believe this thing flew over Santa's workshop, do we know if it was still taking pictures?"

"No ma'am we don't but there's nothing to indicate that it wasn't so we have to assume-"

"Son, anyone ever teach what assumption does?" said the General. Assumption was one word that the military should strike from its dictionary.

"Yes ma'am I'm sorry but aren't you going to send in your team from Burbank? This would be an ideal mission for them considering…"

"Considering? Lieutenant, are you trying to tell me how to do my job? Dismissed," said Beckman as she waved him away. The man turned around and left as fast as he could. However, he was right, the truth was Chuck and Sarah would've been ideal but the stupid satellite had flown over Santa's workshop. The workshop was the code name of their ultra-secret base where special projects were developed among which was the construction of the new intersect computer. A football field size computer being built under the snow and ice of the North, an ideal climate for refrigerating and keeping the super conductors from overheating, plus safely tucked away from prying eyes. But if she couldn't use Chuck or Sarah she still had Casey but who else could she send? This wasn't a solo mission then she remembered an evaluation the Colonel had submitted.

"Where was it at," she said to herself as she shuffled stacks of paper. "Here we go, 'Candidate evaluation ICO Alex McHugh, operative fully trained. Recommend subject for a more active role within the team.' "Connie, get me Colonel Casey on the horn," yelled the General, "I've got a mission for him and Miss McHugh. Oh hell I'll send their wooly friend with them too."

"What was that General?" asked her secretary. "I'm sorry I didn't get everything you said."

"Just patch Colonel Casey into me. I'll want to talk with him."

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Somewhere deep in a cave in the central regions of _Papua New Guinea a group of men were sitting around a table with keyboards in front of them and a transparent screen in the middle. On the screen was a terrestrial globe that rotated with the earth, a red dotted line traced a trajectory path round it until the dotted line ended somewhere in Alaska. _

_"__One, two, three over riding mission control locking out self-destruct commands and firing thrusters short burst. Okay we're over the coordinates."_

_"__I got it. Taking a look okay and… taking pictures now," said the man sitting across from the table. "Okay done, we're off site now you can bring her down."_

_"__Firing re-entry rockets, lowering our girl into the atmosphere in three, two, and one, firing rockets thrusters to slow descent."_

"No, no, no you idiot you're bringing the thing down in the middle of nowhere. What were you thinking? I had a team already standing by in Australia for pick up," yelled the man across for the table as he got up and walk around trying to calm down.

"Quiet, I've got to slow descent or you'll be picking up ash and don't call me an idiot, moron you're the one who had me alter its orbit. What did you think was going to happen? Did you think we'd just put on a turn signal then move over to the right? Jesus, are you stupid."

"I might be stupid but I'm stupid with the gun," said the man as he showed his friend his Desert Eagle."

"Just goes to prove the bigger the piece the smaller the brain."

"I've got another saying for you the bigger the mouth the quicker it gets shut," said the man on the opposite side of the table. Then both men got up and puffed up their chests like they wanted to go at it right there.

"Will you girls pipe down or I'll shoot you both. Jesus, you're giving me a headache. Jake, get your team back in the air and have then stand by. Wong, give me the coordinates where the satellite went down. Remember our client doesn't like mistakes or screw ups."

"I'm sorry but I can't tell you exactly where it's at, the GPS onboard went out on the way down but this is the rough area that we need to search."

"Thanks," said the man as he handed the note to Jake then pulled Jake's Desert Eagle and shot Wong dead. Apology accepted. Did I make my point," asked the man handing back Jake his weapon. "No more screw ups now let's go and someone clean this mess up."

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It was early in the morning before sun up when Chuck woke up. He felt a heavy weight on his chest and it was hard to breath. Walking up half asleep and in his morning haze at first he thought he was having a heart attack. But his fears were soon dispersed when he say two little eyes look down at him Sam sitting on his chest holding her rabbit.

"You almost scared your father to death my little sweet pea," said Chuck as he grabbed her and gave her a tickle attack. She laughed and giggled then Chuck heard Sarah moan he almost forgot she was still asleep.

"Shush, let me go then when I get back I'll take you back to your bed. It's too early for you to be up and about," said Chuck as he got up laying her down on his side then stepped out. But when he came back Sam was sound asleep on his side and he just didn't have the heart to wake her so he let her sleep.

"Okay Chuck what can you do at four in the morning?" he said to himself as he went into the kitchen "First thing is to make coffee," he said to himself but as he was making it he thought he heard someone outside so he went out but he didn't see anyone. When he went back inside he checked the time, it was way too early for the newspaper boy or the trash men.

"I knew I shouldn't have eaten that other slice of pizza then again that extra weigh on my stomach didn't help," he said to himself as he tried to write off what he heard but he there it was again. However, this time it seemed closer so he turned off the lights and hide behind the door with his dart gun at the ready.

"Christ this is for Sarah and Sam, I've got to keep them safe," Chuck said as he waited but he didn't have to wait long. The knob turned slowly then the door opened. Chuck saw a gloved hand reach in to grab hold of the door as it swung open. Chuck flashed. He rolled from behind in a ball out to the front coming up firing two darts in rapid succession into the burglar catching him dead center in the chest. The only thing wrong was that it wasn't a burglar but Morgan.

"Oh boy," said Morgan as he looked down at the darts in his chest then dropped.

"I'm sorry little buddy," said Chuck as he ran over to him. Casey applauded from the courtyard by clapping his hands.

"Well that's idiots one and morons zero," said Casey as he and Chuck dragged Morgan back outside to the water fountain where they propped him up.

"Can you tell me what's going on? You know I could've killed him and if it'd been Sarah she would've with her Smith and Wesson."

"Calculated risk. Did you make coffee? I can smell it."

"Yeah I just made a pot, go help yourself," said Chuck as he knelt down checking on Morgan making sure he hadn't over dosed his friend. Casey went in then came out with two cups.

"I brought you yours," said John as he handed him his cup. "Why are you up anyway we thought you two would still be asleep."

"What do you mean? And what was Morgan doing breaking into our apartment?" asked Chuck thinking he'd seen Casey do some pretty stalker things but this took the cake.

"I was giving Morgan some spy training. He's been observing you guys at night trying to find the window of opportunity."

"Looked more like a door than a window but what? Come again, he's been observing us so he can sneak in for what? Just to prove to you that he can do it? Casey you know people go to prison for this, don't you? I might be wrong but I think you might remember a president who got in trouble for having something like this done."

"Take it up with Beckman. Remember Grimes is the diamond in the rough and my job is to make him sparkle even if it kills him."

"Which it would've if Sarah had been the one awake. You guys are insane. If I didn't have my dart gun I would've used Sarah's nine."

"Doubtful, you and firearms don't mix and I know Sarah is storing hers now unloaded under her pillow so I'd have time to stop her before she ventilated the Troll."

"You're mighty sure with the life of your future son in law," said Chuck as Casey grunted then took a sip of coffee.

"Okay so you know why we're here, why are you up? You're normally asleep at this hour or that's what I see on the cameras."

"Cameras! You've still got those cameras up and you're watching us when we're you know. Oh I take it back; I don't think you're sick I know you are. How would you like it if I filmed you and Gertrude or Kathleen? You wouldn't like it then would you?"

"Calm down before you pop a gasket I was just joking. So what gives? Sarah kicked you out of bed for snoring?"

"I don't snore… do I?"

"My surveillance footage is for official use only, so what gives? Why are you up and about at five in the morning now?" asked Casey as he looked at his watch.

"I had another type of intruder alert going on in the name of Sam. I found her sitting on my chest smiling down at me."

"And you make fun of me but I thought you put that motion detection system in so you guys would know when she was out and about? Sounds to me like you should be asking for your money back or getting someone out to check it out."

"Well we talked about it but in the end we just put in the one sensor on Sam's door and I put it in myself. Before you say anything I know what I was doing. After all these years in the nerd herd and extra training I should know how to set up one lousy sensor and alarm."

"I agree, you should but your evidence says a different story or don't you agree?" said Casey as Morgan dropped over and they straightened him up again. "I swear I'm going to slap him if he drools on me."

"Yeah you're right about my install not about slapping Morgan, let's get that straight. I'll run a diagnostic check tomorrow."

"Sounds like the right thing to do. Yeah, I would if I were you. Now for what to do with sleeping beauty here I vote to leave him and let him sleep it off.

"No John, help me and we'll put him on our couch. Then I'll get breakfast started and you can have the first batch of pancakes."

"Now you're talking. I guess I should call Alex soon too before she starts looking for the Troll and not finding him. It would be a shame though if he got misplaced."

"No John, Morgan's my friend," said Chuck as they dumped him on the couch. He made a high pitched whinny sound when he got dropped.

"Yeah your friend you shot. Didn't that sound like a woman?"

"I think he was dreaming about doing the Morgan. Probably having nightmares about being shot and for the record it was an accident. Hey, when you talk to Alex tell her to come over and have breakfast with us too. It will be great to have the whole gang over here for breakfast. I need to also thank Kathleen for helping out."

"Well that you have to tell her, she's the one who volunteered to babysit," said Casey as he poured himself another cup and seeing the pot was low he made another one.

"I know she's only available during the day but it helps a lot. That way Sarah and I can still go into Castle to work. We're vetting babysitters but that's coming along very slowly," said Chuck as he slid the first stack of pancakes in front of Casey.

"You can tell him," said Sarah as she appeared from around the corner from the bedroom. "The problem is me I'm being too picky or at least that's what I've been accused of."

"Not true, I haven't said a word," Chuck said as Sarah poured herself a cup of Casey's coffee and almost gagged.

"John I can always tell when you make coffee, it comes out forty weight," said Sarah as she took a fork and stole a bit of his pancake.

"Mine," said Casey as they all laughed.

"Pancakes! Do I smell pancakes," said Morgan as he rose from their couch like Count Dracula from his coffin.

"Morgan, I don't know if I should be laughing or running," said Chuck, "But yours are up after I finish Sarah's. I'll explain Love."

"Chuck! Dude, you shot me so not cool. Not cool Chuck not cool," said Morgan as Chuck passed Sarah her stack.

"Let me explain," said Chuck as he started to explain to her about Morgan's training but she stopped him.

"I know he's been watching us for his so called 'window of opportunity'. He's been at it for about a week. I take it he didn't make it?"

"Well let's just say his window was a door and it got closed in his face," said Chuck as Casey shook his head looking at Morgan.

"What I was careful. I did everything you told me to do I don't understand," said Morgan as he came over to inhale his portion and he tried to steal another.

"Behave Morgan. No you had yours, the rest are for Kathleen and Alex when they get here. But I don't understand if you knew what he was up to, why didn't you say something?"

"Alex made me promise not to tell and besides Sweetie I figured the worst that could happen would be Morgan would get a little sleep. And you two don't be mad at Alex, she told me because she cares about you Morgan and she was afraid I'd shoot you which I probably would've."

"I think I told them the exact same thing," said Chuck as he poured out Casey's Mississippi mud and made a new pot.

"Sweetie I rolled over to kiss you and found Sam. Did we have Space invaders?" said Sarah as Chuck laughed then kissed her.

"Yes and I like the nerdy analogy I think I might be rubbing off on you," said Chuck pulled her in close and kissed her again.

"Yuck some of us are still trying to eat here. Can't you take that back to the bedroom where it belongs?"

"We need to get ready Alex and Kathleen will be here soon," said Chuck. "You know there's a water shortage in California and we're under water rationing."

"So if we took our shower together we'd be doing our part to conserve water," said Sarah as she smiled back at him with a coy look in her eye.

"Well, I think it'd be irresponsible if not criminal if we don't," said Chuck as he took her by the hand and pulled her into the bathroom. Sarah laughed as they disappeared inside.

"Jesus I think I'm going to be sick," said Casey as Morgan got up. "You touch a pancake and you're dead." Morgan sat back down.

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An hour later everyone was there. Alex and Kathleen had showed up together and were drinking coffee in the kitchen when Chuck and Sarah came out in bathrobes. They went into their bedroom and changed. Sam was still asleep but considering her mission the night before was at four and they didn't know for how long she was awake before that, they decided to let her sleep in.

"Hey we need to go," said Casey, "Beckman just called and she wants to brief us at Castle in an hour. You two set for transportation I've got my daughter and the Troll."

"Sure I'll drive us in I'll use my Lotus."

The team left for Castle in two vehicles. Chuck and Sarah left after they got Kathleen settled in with a promise that they'd check with her at lunch. However this delay made them late and when they arrived at Castle Casey was already in the middle of the briefing.

"I'm sorry General but we had a small problem getting out of the house this morning," said Chuck. Without Emma it just takes longer sorry.

"Well I can understand that can be a problem and since Sarah, your mother is not available still in Montenegro I believe?"

"Yes ma'am with my father and my sister. But we should have a sitter soon and Kathleen, Alex's mother is watching our daughter during the day since Alex has been going out on missions."

"That's right I have Colonel Casey's fit for duty reports right here on Miss McHugh along with those of Agent Bartowski, S. and they led me to come to the conclusion that Agent McHugh is ready for field operations. As it is there's a mission that has come up I think would be good to get Agent McHugh's feet wet so to speak. One of our spy satellites has malfunctioned and went down in Denali National Park around Mount Foraker. Agent Carmichael, Agent Grimes no puns please. The memory module contains highly classified and sensitive material which needs to be recovered. Agent McHugh I'm sending you along with Colonel Casey and Agent Grimes to find and recover the memory module."

"What about Chuck and Sarah, I means Agents Bartowski Ma'am? Shouldn't they be coming with us?" asked Alex.

"Since they're having sitter problems they can provide support from Castle, any questions?"

"Excuse me General but they won't know what a memory module looks like let alone how to remove it. Are you sure you don't want one of us to go with them if this is such a simple mission?"

"No, they can call and you can walk them through if necessary using sat net coms. I'm sure you can handle this."

"You don't think that's a little ironic to us a satellite to communicate on how to operate on another satellite. I hope its name isn't Hal. General would it be possible to see the satellites orbit path and reentry trajectory?"

"No that's NSA classified data need to know. The NSA doesn't want their mistakes published for the world to see, sorry."

"Chuck, give it a rest. It's time you let Alex have her day like we did for you. The General knows what she's doing."

"Thank you Colonel Casey but Chuck's concerned for the team which is what a good leader does and I understand. Beckman out."

"Way to go," said Morgan as he congratulated Alex. "Your first mish this will be something to look back on."

"He's right," said Chuck, "congratulations and make sure you pack plenty of thermal underwear you'll need it up there."

"Come on we need to plan," said Casey as he took Alex and Morgan into the Armory. Just then Sarah got a call it was Kathleen.

"I've got to take this," said Sarah. "Kathleen what's the matter … Really? Should I come home? … No I'm on my way. I'll be right there."

"What's the matter?" said Chuck as Sarah grabbed her bag and keys.

"Kathleen just called and said Sam has a fever. I'm running home to check on her I'll keep you informed."

"No let me come with you, looks like we're not needed here anyway."


	2. Chapter 2

Don't own Chuck

Chuck and Sarah drove home as fast as they could after explaining to Casey what was going on. Once they got home they could tell Sam wasn't feeling well she climbed into Sarah's arms and didn't want to let go. Chuck went and got the thermometer and found she was running a low fever.

"I think she's having trouble with her teeth. She's been chewing on Mr. Rabbit and salivating a lot," said Kathleen, "has she cut all her teeth yet?"

"All except the back molars," said Sarah as she tried to get Sam to open wide but Sam wasn't having it so eventually Sarah gave up. "Chuck, Sweetie please call the paediatrician and see if she can work us in this morning. I don't want to take any chances. Kathleen I'm sorry about this normally Sam is an easy baby."

"Sorry for what. But what's this I hear about you guys going out of town on a trip? Alex called and told me, she sounded excited on the phone." Sarah made a mental note to talk to Alex about OpSec.

"Morgan and Alex are going out of town and I think Casey said he's going to tag along as a sort of chaperon. He wants to make sure they don't get into any trouble if you know what I mean."

"I'm going to have to talk to him about leaving those kids alone. For Christ sake, they're engaged and if we'd waited until we got married, well I wouldn't have Alex now. I don't know what I'd do without her. Her father hasn't got her doing anything dangerous I hope."

"No," said Sarah thinking not but she wasn't so sure about the General. "They're just going to pick up a package and come home or that's what I heard. Chuck and I will be staying behind."

"Okay I called Dr. May and she'll be able to see us in a couple of hours. If we can leave now and wait in her office we might be able to get in even earlier."

Sarah had a hard time getting Sam in her car seat she wanted to ride in her arms but that wasn't safe so as a compromise Sarah let Chuck drive and she rode sitting next to Sam holding her hand. Chuck noticed on the way there Sarah was stealing looks at him in the mirror and was unusually quiet. At first he thought he was just concerned about Sam but there was something else in her look.

"Okay Mr. and Mrs. Bartowski, if you have a seat in the waiting area the doctor will see you when she's free," they were told at the reception desk so they took a seat and waited.

"Here you want to look at this," said Chuck as he showed Sam a big picture book about the space station and outer space.

"See this is the space station and this is an astronaut," said Chuck as he showed her the pictures and explained them. "I wanted to be an astronaut when I was little. Here this is the space station. See these are the solar panels. Chuck flashed. He started telling Sam all the specifications of the space station along with the different modules, the country that constructed them and quirks in assembling everything in space. Sarah nudged him to make him stop but when he did he looked around to see the whole waiting room staring at him.

"I guess I got a little carried away with my description," said Chuck as he felt everyone watching him and heard a few of the mothers whisper then point at him like he was crazy.

"Mister, the doctor will see you now," said a rather large heavy set nurse who looked like the female version of Big Mike.

"You look like someone I know," said Chuck as he and Sarah got up. Sam was still in Sarah's arms clinging like a monkey.

"You look like someone I know a fool. Mr. Bartowski," said the woman looking down at a folder, "if that baby understood a word you said she should skip nursery, elementary, high school and go straight to the MIT.

"You wouldn't happen to be related to a Michael Tucker assistant store manager of the Burbank Buy More."

"You mean 'Big Mike', he's my cousin. Oh by the way I'll take that book you've got in your hands I need it back."

"It's quite educational I bet it's a hit with the kids. I know when I was little I wanted to be an astronaut."

"You mean astro'nut', no I need it so the next parents that come in can torture their poor child too with it. Whatever happened to Tip? Did a car run him over or something? See Tip run. Run Tip run. Damn car's faster than Tip what do you think is going to happen?"

Finally they got into see Doctor May and after a little coaxing and bribery she got Sam unglued from Sarah and examined her mouth.

"Yeah here's the culprit, she's cutting her last set of back molars and because they're big and flat they're causing inflammation and a small infection. I'll give you a couple topical creams one for the infection and the other for the discomfort. We should be right as rain in a few days," said the Doctor as she pick Sam up handing her back to Sarah, "and before you say anything Chuck, I know rain isn't right but it's what we say.

"I'm just saying it's all over the place. But thanks for seeing us on such short notice like this you're a life saver."

"Yeah I'm sorry if we bothered you for noting but I didn't want to take any chances," said Sarah as Sam buried her head in her shoulder.

"Don't worry about it just wait until you see my bill," said the Doctor as they gave her a look. "Just kidding, a standard medical joke. No it was no bother, I've got worse mothers than you and besides fevers in children should never be taken lightly. My nurse will see you out."

"I see you've hired a new one, how's she working out for you?"

"Great, she's taken care of my problem patients now if only I could do something about her work performance. The other day I heard her say 'mornings are for reflection and pastry'. Well that's my personnel problem next thing I know you'll be billing me for consultation fees."

Chuck and Sarah left with Sam driving straight over to the Orange, Orange. Dr. May said that something cool might help her gums and nothing is cooler as well as just plan good than ice cream. Sam wasn't quite able to say ice cream yet what she usually said sounded something like 'scream'.

Sarah got Sam situated in her high chair with Mr. Rabbit under one arm and a spoon in the other while Chuck went to the counter and ordered.

"The usual Boss," said Doris the girl behind the counter. She was one of a series of high school employees looking to make some extra cash for college. Everyone vetted with a background check and three letters of recommendation.

"Yeah I'll take two cups with two scoops each," said Chuck as he caught Sarah looking at him again with that look. "So you're off to Stanford next year I hear. I went to Stanford it's a good school you'll like it."

"I will if I can set up tuition. It isn't exactly cheap but with my grades I'm hoping something can be worked out. The counsellors and admin there are helping me. Here you go enjoy," said Doris as she handed Chuck his order.

"Thanks," said Chuck making a mental note to call and see if there wasn't something he could do maybe an anonymous donation.

"Here we go for my two favourite girls," said Chuck as he put their orders in front of them. Naturally Sam first had to put her hand in it but when she found out it was cold she just held her ice cream covered hand up in front of her. Chuck laughed then cleaned it off. From then on she ate it with her spoon. As he was taking care of Sam he caught Sarah looking at him again as she ate.

"Oaky, what's wrong," he asked. "You've been stealing looks since this morning's brief. Did I do something wrong?"

"It's nothing," said Sarah as she tried to hide herself in her ice cream but he wasn't going to let her off that easy.

"Oh no you don't I know that look and I've must've done something so just come out and say it. You're just going to keep it bottled up stealing looks and I'm going to end up playing twenty questions so just tell me. Remember I'm the man who buys you ice cream."

"Rocky Road, if you want to be specific but okay, you're right. Chuck, you practically begged to go along on Alex's mission or don't you want to stay here with us?"

"What? Where's this coming from? Of course I want to be with you two. It has nothing to do with you or Sam."

"Then what? I thought I was the one who was the adrenaline junkie addicted to this job but I've changed. You changed me. I don't want it to change you. I want you to be the same; I want you to be my Chuck."

"I am, I always will be, no you have nothing to worry about that. I love you and I love Sam. I want to be with you two. It has nothing to do with us that's not the problem."

"Then what is it? I saw that look on your face in the brief. You almost jumped up and down saying you wanted to go. What's the problem if not us?"

"No, don't ever think that. No, you guys are my world, I can't live without you. You're not the problem; the problem is I think Beckman was lying about this mission. Either that or she hasn't been given the full story. These satellites are in fix orbits and don't just fall out of the sky.

"I know that they are usual kept in a geostationary Earth orbit but from time to time that orbit has to compensated and adjusted to keep them up there."

"Very good but remember Skylab when it came down spreading debris over the Australian outback. All of its electronic components got burn up on reentry yet this one has a memory module that seems intact? Something isn't right."

"Maybe they were able to bring it down intact so all they have to do is go pick it up and bring it back?"

"Then why didn't the GPS onboard give them an exact location? Secondly there are also failsafe systems that cause the satellite to auto-destruct if they malfunction. If the satellite's technology is so sensitive why didn't they just destroy it instead of risking letting it fall into the wrong hands?"

"I don't know maybe they couldn't because of an onboard system failure. Something like that would cause them to lose control."

"Then we have a catch twenty-two, if they had a system failure how was the satellite able to slow its descent down enough to land almost intact? We're talking about thruster bursts not to mention the precision in the angle of descent as Casey would say I smell a rat and in this case it's wearing stars."

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An Antonov AN-12 was flying over the Pacific with a group of paramilitary in the cargo hold. They were laughing and cutting up; exchanging war stories yelling over the sound of the engine roar. Each one was being paid top dollar on this mission that was what made it so attractive and drew out the dregs of the merc world.

"So tell us again Jake what did Wong's face look like when Captain Perry iced him? I wish I could've been there I've wanted to shut him up for years."

"I swear his eyes were as big as saucers almost as big as the hole my Desert Eagle put through his chest. I don't even think he realized he was dead until he looked down at the hole and then he had this 'oh crap' look on his face before he dropped. You had to have been there to appreciate it."

"Well he got what he deserved, if you ask me. We were all geared up in the outback, sweating our butts off ready to race for the load just when we get the word wheels up and to where…"

"The largest ice cube in the world," said their leader coming in behind them. "What Jake failed to tell you guys was he had to go change his pants afterwards. He thought I was going to whack him. But use Wong as an example, there can be no screw ups on this mission and sorry is a word I don't want to hear. You screw up you might as well do me a favor and put a bullet in your head for me. Now that the pleasantries are out of the way, Jake I need to talk to you."

The two man went up to a situation room they had thrown together in the Antonov. The Captain motioned of him to look over the map they had in the middle of the table.

"Okay, we're landing over here we'll come in at night with the lights off and land on the Kahiltnaglacier that's where you and your men will off load. Then we'll take off again and fly over to Fairbanks, we can't stay down for more than a half an hour before we're missed."

"No problem, give us a ten minute warning and we'll roll straight off. Everything is packed and ready so I can have us off in fifteen."

"Good, that's even better I knew I shot the right man. Listen word's in that the CIA and NSA have put together a response team. They're supposed to already be in the air for here."

"What do you want me to do if we met up with them or if we meet any local resistance? Tell me I don't have to sit around a campfire with them singing Kumbaya."

"Our client would like the response team kept alive at least for a little while but as for the rest we were never here."

"Roger that Captain, accidents happen all the time in the mountains and I'm sure some of them are accidents."

"Okay the coordinates Wong gave us indict the satellite went down somewhere on the South side of Foraker Mountain which corresponds to some chatter we picked up over the Internet about Martians invading Denali park."

"Reminds me I need to update my Facebook page," said Jake as his Captain gave him a look from across the table. "Just joking."

"I shot the last person who joked around like that."

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Chuck and Sarah were finishing up in Orange, Orange and getting ready to leave when Alex came in and sat down with them. They could tell she was happy and excited, she was bubbling with energy. Chuck couldn't remember being happy but just plain scared if not terrified on his first mission. Looking back though he'd been on so many missions there wasn't one that he could clearly label as being his first 'official' mission. There was the fiasco with the mole and what happened afterwards and Shaw all of which he'd like to forget.

"Alex would you like something? I'm offering. Where's Morgan at anyway? He usually never passes up free yoghurt."

"He's home packing said he had to pick up some thermal underwear and snow boots. He said he had some clothes packed away from when he was in Aspen. He never mentioned Aspen maybe I should ask him what he did to get an idea what we can do in Alaska."

"No, no I don't think that's a good idea. The two places have nothing in common other than maybe a couple of peaks," said Chuck as Sarah gave him a look.

"Well, I just wanted to thank you guys for helping me along and training me. If I'm here it's because of you and I wanted to say thanks. A few years ago I thought my father was dead and now. Now not only do I have him back with me but he and I are going off on a mission together."

"Alex, I want you to know if you don't feel you're ready or feel you're up to it you can tell us and we'll talk to the General and Casey for you," said Chuck worried that Alex and company were getting into something that they knew nothing about.

"Of course I am, you heard the General. She said so herself. I know you're worried about being left behind. Dad told me that this was hard on you two but don't worry there will be other missions and afterwards we can go on them together as colleagues.

"John did, did he well the General doesn't always…" Chuck started to say 'tell you the whole truth' but Sarah stopped.

"I got this Sweetie. Beckman doesn't always appreciate what she has but she certainly has taken to you. You'll do fine and we'll be providing support from here no problem."

"Thanks guys I've got to run, Dad wants us wheels up in an hour and I still have to pack. We're flying to Ladd Army airbase then then taking a copter in."

"Just remember to pack light and pack things that will keep you warm. You'll need them. Don't over pack like some people," said Sarah as she looked at Chuck.

"Hey but there were times when my 'over packing' came in handy. But Sarah's right, pack light and watch your backs out there. Stay close to Casey and just say the word and we'll be on the next plane."

"I don't hardly think so, I heard little miss here had a fever," said Alex as she went over and felt Sam but she didn't feel like she had one. "I guess it's useless to say goodbye since we'll be in comms every day."

"Then why don't we just say until later," said Chuck as they got up and kissed her. Sam wanted her kiss too so she held out her arms.

"Oh I'll miss you the most sweet pea," said Alex as she picked Sam up and gave her a hug then handed her back to Sarah. "Well I need to go before I start to cry then Dad will yell at me about female emotions. Somewhere down the road I think I need to point out to him I am female." They all laughed then parted.

"I get why you didn't let me tell Alex about Beckman but I should at least try to talk to Casey before they leave."

"You can try but it won't do any good because he won't listen. You heard Alex, Casey thinks we're sore because we're getting left behind. You aren't are you?"

"Of course not well I'll admit it'll be a little strange to be down in Castle without the guys but no I'm not sore. Besides I'm happy where ever I am as long as I'm with you two, my girls. Are you? This is the only life you've know and now you're stuck with us."

"Of course this is going to take some getting used to but honestly I envisioned this transition being much harder than it actually is. I think I'm grateful to the General for making this decision for me."

"So we're cool about this whole thing then. We can let Casey, Alex and Morgan be the A team and what are we?" Chuck heard her talking but it sounded more like she was trying to convince herself.

"Base support sounds good to me, what about you? What do you think?"

"Works for me, so Base support it is. Well while we're base supporting I need to make a couple of phone calls from Castle. Do you two want to come down with me or go home?"

"Actually I don't have anything to do so we're going to go shopping and I'm going to fix your favorite dish tonight 'Chicken Peperoni', said Sarah as both Chuck and Sam laughed. Sarah gave Chuck a look.

"No, no I'm not laughing at you. Love, I have a confession to make, it's not my favorite dish. It's the only one I know how to cook and still Ellie thinks it's terrible. I'm sorry," he said as he kissed her.

"You'd better be sorry. So what would you like me to cook for you? Just name it and I'll try and make it. I won't swear how it'll come out but I'll try."

"Sarah, I love you but don't go all Betty Crocker on me, please. Just surprise me whatever you serve will be fine and if you get into trouble you know Sizzling Shrimp deliver."

"Oh, I hate you," Sarah said as she kissed him.

"And I love you," said Chuck as he kissed her back.


	3. Chapter 3

Don't own Chuck

Chuck stood in the window of Orange, Orange looking out, watching Sarah put Sam in her car then drive off before he walking back into the freezer where he disappeared. Doris had witnessed this vanishing act before so she was used to it and didn't pay it any mind. Castle seemed so empty now that everyone was gone. But he didn't have time to think about the echoes right then he had lots of questions but very few answers and now was the time to get some. But first he made a call to Stanford for Doris then after talking with admissions and cutting a deal everything was set for her to start as early as this Term.

"Okay time for the piranha to do his thing," said Chuck as he uncorked a bottle of Rombauer he took out of the Castle minibar and began to work on his keyboard type strings and strings of code. Laughing inside as he cut through firewall after firewall like peeling away the rings of an onion until he was in NORAD, now he had to work quickly getting what he needed then getting out before the trap knew the mouse was eating the cheese.

"Here we go," Chuck said as he talked to himself, "release the trolling virus. There… got you!" He was out before the system knew to kicked him out but it was okay when their IT people searched the server they'd think someone in Peking had tried to hack their computer but the system safeguards had repelled the barbarous invader or that's what the program he wrote would simulate to the tech guy who was sent to investigate but he had the prize in hand on a USB drive. As he was about to look at his catch his phone rang, it was Sarah.

"Crap," he said when he checked his watch time flew by and now it was late. "Hi love I'm sorry I lost track of the time. I'm on my way home now … Yes, I know what time it is. I mean no I didn't before but I do now I just checked. I'm literally out the door right as we speak … Oh you want me to bring the Rombauer you left in the fridge here home," said Chuck as he looked over at the now empty bottle next to his work station. "Sure but there might be a little traffic at this time of day, so it might take me a little longer than normal to get home but I'm on my way I'll be right there."

Chuck grabbed the flash drive throwing it into his bag then grabbed the keys for a herder. He calculated the distance to the package store then home in his head and with luck he should still make home in decent time.

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It was late evening, Casey and the gang were on the road in his Crown Vic driving down the I5 towards Travis AFB to catch a flight to Ladd Army Airfield outside of Fairbanks. Alex was sitting up front with Casey while Morgan was in the back reading his Fodor's Guide to Alaska. Casey was still shaking his head as he drove at all the gear Morgan brought. Alex had to sit up front because with Morgan's bags there was not room. There was barely enough for himself.

"Christ Morgan did you happen to bring the kitchen sink too. Listen there's no way I'm going to let you drag all this crap along with us. When we get to Travis look at what you got, sort it out and come up with one bag."

"But Casey I need all this stuff for anything that might come up. You know you're supposed to wear layers so I brought enough to keep my core warm."

"I'll give your warm core all right. I'll use you like a match and strike it against the nearest wall. With that beard you'd make a good torch."

"Okay Emperor Nero, how long before we're at Travis anyway? Shouldn't we be there yet? How long have we been on the road? Jesus, Casey why are you driving so slowly, we could've already driven to Alaska by now."

"If you don't pipe down back there I'll push this little red button and we'll see how long before you go splat and get run over by a truck." Morgan's whining was like chalk on a blackboard for Casey and it was all he could do not to reach back and strangle him.

"Morgan, you just asked us ten minutes ago how long before we get to Travis so if you subtract ten you'll get your answer."

"I forgot the question, oh yeah how long before we get to Travis again?"

"Why you," grunted Casey as he reach for the red button but Alex stopped him.

"Dad no, he's only nervous about flying," said Alex as she turned around to Morgan. "So what did you find out about Alaska in that book?"

But before Morgan could answer Casey pulled a dart pen he hand in his shirt pocket and shot Morgan while looking at him in the rearview mirror.

"Dad! No! We can't keep this up every time we fly. He'll get brain damage or something" said Alex as Morgan dropped over fast asleep and I wasn't long before he started snoring.

"You have to have one first, besides all other options involved lethal force. Diamond in the rough," grunted Casey as he glanced back at Morgan to make sure he wasn't drowning on his own droll. "Well maybe he'll come in handy."

"I know he will Dad, you just have to give him a chance," said Alex as she reached over the seat to pick up Morgan's travel book on Alaska.

"Yeah I saw on Animal Planet a way to hunt bear. They staked a goat next to a tree and hid up above when the bear came out they got it but as I remember it got the goat first."

"Dad really," said Alex as she was thumbing through the book. "You're not going to stake Morgan out. Besides, I know you're just kidding."

"But you have to admit the resemblance to the goat is there," said Casey as he smiled glancing over at her. "You've come a long ways in a short time. I'm proud of you."

"Thanks Dad I appreciate it but I just wish Chuck and Sarah were here too to complete the team. I didn't like leaving them behind and I don't think they did either."

"They'll get over it. A spy has to be able to adapt to whatever is thrown their way, manipulating their environment to their needs. A spy has to be able to operate on their own, independent of a team, an army of one-" said Casey as Morgan interrupted.

"A team of two, army of one, highway to the danger zone, live free or die hard," Morgan muttered from his drug induced coma.

"Even asleep he's a pain," said Casey as the turned off I5 following the signs to Travis AFB and the C130 that was waiting to fly them North to Alaska the rush was on.

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Chuck pulled in across from Echo Park and made his way through the courtyard. As he approached his front door he heard voices from inside. He recognized Sarah's but she was talking to another woman. The voice was familiar and he knew he knew who she was but for a moment he just couldn't place it then he opened the door.

"Hi honey, I'm home," said Chuck as he walked in and there sitting in his living room across from Sarah was Doris from Orange, Orange. "I'm sorry I'm late but I got held up. Hey, Doris funny seeing you here."

"That's why I wanted you to come home Sweetie," said Sarah as she took the wine from him. He caught the look when she realized it was warm. "Held up, yeah in a Piranha attack."

"Something like that," said Chuck as Sam came up to him with her arms held up wanting to be picked up. He sat his bag down then picked her up checking her forehead for a fever. "How's Sam doing?"

"I used the ointments Dr. May gave us and she seems to be doing much better. She's just being a little clingy but that's because she's not feeling well. I'm sorry Doris if we're ignoring you but Sam wasn't feeling well this morning. Would you like some Chardonnay? I'm afraid it's warm," said Sarah as she looked at Chuck, "but we've got ice?"

"Thanks yes please," said Doris so Sarah opened the bottle as Chuck got the gasses ready. "So I've been thinking about your offer and I have to admit I'm interested. But are you sure you want me?"

"We want you for what?" said Chuck as he handed Doris her glass looking back at Sarah who walked over and sat down. "I'm sorry I think I walked in the middle of a conversation?"

"Well remember you were telling me I was dragging my feet on finding a sitter. Here you go; I've found her that is if Doris accepts the job."

"Wait a minute I don't think we should jump into this so hastily. I'm sorry this is coming out wrong," said Chuck as both Sarah and Doris were giving him the evil eye. "Boy did someone just turn up the temperature in here. Doris what happened to your plans to go off to Stanford to study? How can you babysit for us when you're off at Stanford? The new term starts in a couple of weeks."

"I can't afford it now and that's why I need the work to save up to go to university. You graduated from Stanford you know how expensive it is."

"Yes I did and I know exactly what you're talking about. It wasn't easy back then and I had to drop out then go back to finish up. But say you got a call tomorrow from Student Admissions and they told you money had been found in the form of a scholarship, what would you say? Would you accept it or turn it down?" But Doris never got a chance to answer.

As they were talking Sam climbed down and went over to Chuck's bag. She put Mr. Rabbit inside but as she did she noticed the flash drive Chuck had tossed in. No one noticed her as she took it out and examined it first turning it around in her little hands. Later Sarah would rationalize that Sam had seen them but drives in the hub next to the monitor to transfer data or just to list to MP3s while working. Chuck was in fact in the middle of putting some of his 'wicked' vinyl collection on their mobile devices so he could educate her on the finer points of contemporary and classical rock slash soul music. Chuck was the first to notice Sam with his pen drive.

"No Sam don't," said Chuck as he dove to stop her. Both Sarah and Doris looked at Chuck wondering what he was doing not knowing what was going on but Chuck was too late.

"Wow that's great, such detail, I wanted to major in astrophysics," said Doris. "This looks so lifelike." There was a rotating a terrestrial globe and orbiting around it were spy satellites labelled according to their country of origin. "But these orbiting dots I don't recognize them they seem to be geostationary bodies of some type."

"Crap Chuck, Doris I'm sorry," said Sarah. Doris was so interested in the globe and the dots she failed to read the header NORAD Top Secret (TOP SECRET/SI-GAMMA 1234-MANSION/TALENT KEYHOLE-LANTERN/NOFORN). Sarah had no choice but to dart her with a twilight dart.

"Jesus Sarah," said Chuck as he quickly grabbed her wine glass before she spilt it one herself. "You should've at least let her put her wine down first."

"Why? What were you thinking," said Sarah talking about the file but Chuck was still talking about the wine.

"Think about it, she wakes up tomorrow can't remember the last twenty four hours and smells like wine. What do you think she's going to think happened?"

"What? No, oh I could give her something of mine to put on. That's not what I'm talking about it-" But Chuck cut her off before she could finish.

"That's going to make a pretty picture, now she wakes up, can't remember and is in another woman's clothes." Sam was rolling on the ground giggling; she thought the whole, 'now she's awake now she's asleep', was hilarious. She even got up and tried to put a pillow under Doris' head to make her more comfortable but Doris' head was heavier then she thought so she laid down on the floor and put her head on it and went to sleep with Mr. Rabbit under arm.

"No I'm not talking about Doris I'm talking about hacking into NORAD that's where the bottle of Rombauer went, didn't it and don't lie, remember the pact. Beckman is going to have a cow when she finds out."

"Okay you're right I did hack into NORAD but I was careful and there is no way she can trace this back to me. I was careful but when you called I came, I thought it was important. I'm sorry that came out wrong. Of course it was important."

"Yes it was important I finally had a babysitter lined up but you got her tuition at Stanford and now she's gone. Like this I'm never going to get out of here." Sarah wish she'd never said that the look on Chuck's face cut her like a knife. "I'm sorry I didn't mean it like that."

"Let me get Sam to bed she's tired then I'll take care of Doris. I think I'll go to bed when I get back it's been a long day."

"Don't you want to eat something? I ended up getting Sizzling Shrimp. You were right about my culinary abilities and maybe we can talk," said Sarah as Chuck got up and pulled out the flash drive and pocketed it.

"Suddenly I'm not hungry but if you want to eat go ahead don't wait for me," said Chuck as he disappeared in the back with Sam dangling from his arms.

"If you want I can take care of her so you can go ahead and take care of Doris," said Sarah standing in the doorway of Sam's room trying to make amends.

"No, no I've got this but if you want, can you check to see where she lives and see if you can find her house keys in purse. Christ I think she told me still lives with her parents. You're going to have to call Kathleen and get her over here to watch Sam then we're both going to have to take Doris home.

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The Antonov came down out of nowhere landing on the glacier. The roar of its engines sent moose and _caribou running and the wolves stopped at least for a little while their lonesome howling. Ground lights came on as soon as they stopped rolling and the snow cat rolled off the back. Men worked hard and fast to establish a base camp while others lined a runway with flares so the beast of a plane could take off again heading for Fairbanks. _

_"__Antonov AN-12, this is tower control over. I repeat Antonov AN-12, this is tower control over, do you copy?" _

_"__This is Antonov AN-12 tower control we copy you loud and clear. Is there a problem," said the pilot as he looked over at the Captain who nodded back. _

_"__We were worried about you. For a moment it looked like you dropped out of the sky. Is everything alright onboard?"_

_"__Everything's fine my employer wanted to impress a friend so he asked me to buzz a herd of caribou in the park. I know it's not legal but I need the extra cash, mouths to feed and mortgage to pay. You know the whole bit tower control."_

_"__Roger that I hear you. This time I'll look the other way as long as I don't get yelled at by the rangers but I think I can handle them but the first round is on your boss."_

_"__I'll do better," said the Captain, "I'll send over a whole bottle and I've got some Russian caviar on board too not the cheap kind either. I'll send some your way. How's that tower control."_

_"__In that case Antonov AN-12 we never had this conversation. Hold steady on course and I'll be giving you your runway assignment soon. Tower control over and out."_

_"__Thanks Ivan," said the Captain. "I knew you were the man for this job. I don't know if anyone else could've pulled this off."_

_"__Thanks Captain, now you're just going to make me blush," said Ivan but it was true. He learned to fly in the Russian Air Force flying supplies into Afghanistan then in Chechenia before breaking out on his own. He had flown into almost every hell hole in the world and gotten out, his planes didn't fare as well though, a few bullet holes here and there. He'd also dodged a few North Korean scuds flying blood diamonds out of Africa and a few of his own country's scuds flying in and out of Central America._

_"__Hey Ivan I meant to ask you what's that thing you have hanging around your neck? Is it some sort of religious medallion for good luck?"_

_"__You could say that, this is a piece of shrapnel they dug out of me after my plane was hit while I was flying over Costa Gravas. I was paid by an American group to get this man out, a major in the Marines I found out later. Any way he was my pax but as we were clearing the forest taking off I got hit the next thing I knew I was bleeding like a pig and the plane an American C-130 was in a dive. I thought sure I'd bought the farm but instead I woke up in a field hospital. That crazy major slapped a tourniquet on my leg using his teeth and pulled the plane up landing us at a US military base. This piece of metal around my neck is what they dug out of me."_

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_Casey pulled into Travis and was escorted over to an isolated hangar were a company Leer Jet was parked inside. He had learned a long time ago not to ask too many questions but the upgrade meant they needed them to hurry up. Two airmen off loaded Morgan from Casey's Crown Vic and deposited him on the Leer as Alex saw to their bags. The only problem was there wasn't enough room for all of Morgan's so Casey grabbed one and threw it in the cargo hold._

_"__Dad but what if he needs something from the rest. We should at least look through them to see what he brought."_

_"__That's one mystery I'll leave left unsolved," said Casey as an Air Force Colonel came in the hangar looking for him. "I think you're looking for me Colonel."_

_"__Colonel Casey I was sent this and told to tell you to wait until you were in the air to read it. It's from a General Beckman, I believe you work for her?"_

_"__She likes to think that at least," said Casey as the two men laughed._

_"__I know exactly what you mean. Well I hope you like the bird, I had her gassed up and you'll be ready to go as soon as I can track down a pilot for you."_

_"__You're looking at him. I can fly this thing with both hands tied behind me and blind folded just I prefer not to."_

_"__I've flown a few sorties in my day too and if you tell me you're qualified that's good enough for me. I'll call tower control and get you your authorization. Go ahead and board you'll be wheels up in no time." _

_"__Thanks I appreciate it," said John as he was about to turn back to Alex._

_"__Oh as a by the way, I check the weather in Fairbanks and vicinity. They're expecting bad weather to come in from Siberia. You should get in just in time but you might get socked in for a few days afterwards so I'd bring a deck of cards along."_

_In an hour Casey and Alex were flying up the coast of western seaboard on their way into Canadian air space before returning to US. Casey turned the controls over to Alex so he could open the mysterious envelope and pulled out the folder inside. Alex looked over at him as he read down the pages before flipping to the next then set the whole thing aside._

_"__Okay what gives," asked Alex. "What was in the folder that we had to wait until we were in the air to read?"_

_"__Well, what I can tell you is it looks like we're not the only people looking for this thing. There has been some chatter on the darknet about mercs being recruited for a mission to retrieve a lost data package for top dollar. I think I've got a way in for us but I need Chuck. I'll also need for you and Morgan to be flexible and play along."_

_"__This doesn't sound too much by the book," said Alex as she heard Morgan moving around in the back._

_"__Sometimes you need to re-write the book."_


	4. Chapter 4

Don't own Chuck

Chuck and Sarah drove Doris home in her red Pontiac firebird a graduation present from her parents. It was a 2010 the last GM produced before it went through restructuring and the end of an American made car, the last of a dying breed. Sarah drove as Chuck sat quietly staring out into the night replaying events of their life together in his head. She tried to strike up a conversation a couple of times but they all ended in silence now the silence was a growing creating a wall between them and this was something she didn't want.

"Okay, please I'm sorry I didn't mean what I said it just came out wrong can't you accept that you've done it often enough," she said again is seemed she just could say anything right. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to pounce, please can't we just rewind and start over."

"Rewind to where," said Chuck. Luckily his phone rang before he could say more. "John how's the trip. Sarah and I were just hanging. She wants me to tell you how much she wishes she could be with you guys."

"I did not and you know it. Chuck you're being childish put Casey on speaker or I swear I'll pull over and walk."

"Okay, hold and let me put you on speaker," said Chuck thinking maybe he had exaggerated but he still hurt. "There we can both hear you now. What do you need?"

"Chuck, can you put a resume for me up on the Darknet? I need to answer a want add for a merc for hire. These are the same people that are looking for our lost satellite and if I can get into their organization then I can snatch it out from under their noses."

"Sounds like a good plan but what are you going to do with Alex and Morgan? You aren't thinking about bringing them with you? And where did these people come from, I thought Beckman said this was supposed to be an easy in and out."

"Yeah when do things go as planned? Chuck, I don't see another way I've got to either take them or leave them if I get the job."

"You aren't leaving anyone," yelled Alex is the background.

"Well I guess you heard the answer. I guess they can be my crew but I need this done pronto they probably already have another team in the field. Sarah can help you write it up; she'll know what to say."

"I'm sure she will," said Chuck as Sarah gave him a look. "But you know Kathleen will kill you if anything happens to Alex.

"I know just make it happen and let me know. Is something going on with you guys I need to know about? Is Sam alright?"

"She's fine," said Sarah, " we're taking the sitter home now. Hey Chuck wanted to tell you guys to watch you backs."

"Yeah John I don't think you got the full truth from Beckman and now that you mentioning this other group I think my suspicions are justified. I'll do some snooping around and see what I can find out and let you know."

"No absolutely not. You heard the General and for once Chuck do as you're told and that's an order. I've got to run. Casey out." John cut the connection and Chuck was left with his phone in hand and a dial tone.

"What just happened? Since when does Casey give me orders? I know he'd like to and has tried to but he knows good and well I'm not going to follow them."

"Now who lives for the mission?"

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Casey dropped the line quickly before Chuck could say anything but he knew Chuck was going to investigate. It was in his blood he just couldn't help himself. He was wired that way like a bloodhound. John just hoped for once he'd listen then he thought about giving Beckman a warning but that would be like dropping a dime on a friend and as much as he hated to admit it that was what Chuck was, one of his few. 

"Dad what's going on? I've never heard you give Chuck an order, can you even do that? What else is in that folder you haven't let me see?"

"Nothing," said Casey as he picked it up and walked in the back. Alex heard the sound of Morgan moving about behind still groggy from the tranq.

"Hey John don't tell me you guys darted me again. So not cool every time, you realize Alex and I plan on having Children," Casey looked up from the shredder and growled. "Hey what are you doing?"

"Shut up and get lost Troll," said Casey as he turned on the shredder. Suddenly the plane hit an air pocket and dropped. Morgan lost his footing still feeling the effect of the dart and almost put his hand inside the shredder.

"Watch out idiot! yelled Casey as he grabbed Morgan's hand. "What you want to wear a hook?" but as he grabbed Morgan's hand he dropped the folder and all the papers fell out all over the deck.

"Sorry guys," yell Alex back. Morgan bent down to help Casey pick up the mess but Casey shoved him out of the way and banged up against the bulkhead.

"Ouch Casey, easy there big guy you'll bruise the merchandise I was only trying to help. I wanted to give you a hand after you save mine."

"Don't touch Troll. I've got this you've done enough back here. Why don't you go see if Alex needs anything? Maybe you can crash the plane."

Morgan walked forward to the cockpit as Casey started shredded papers. He turned back to look at Casey and Casey motioned him to go away.

"Hey Babe what's up with your father he's acting all weird back there shredding documents Ollie North style. He almost bit my head off when I tried to help him. Any idea what's going on?"

"No he and Chuck had a strange conversation and from what I heard we're going in undercover as three mercs for hire to infiltrate a gang that might already be about to take the piece we need from the satellite."

"Merc huh I can do that," said Morgan as he turned up the collar on his jacket and but on a pair of dark Ray Bans. "Just call me Cobra, Baby. When they hear my name they'll quake in their boots."

"And bust a gut laughing," said Casey as he came back into the cockpit taking his seat next to Alex. "Your name is going to be 'stay in the plane' if you don't pipe down. No codenames, we go in as who we are. There's no time to plant false identities and build false backgrounds so we go in as ourselves. If we tried to make something up now we'd just trip over our details and our friends will know we're not who we say we are. Mistakes like that are paid for in lead." Already Casey was wondering if taking then along was such a good idea.

"What currency is made of lead?"

"Bullets idiot, they'll shoot you dead although Morgan that could be an improvement for you. Now listen up we should be landing soon, near the base there'll be some sleazy dive, there always is. There I'll make contact with our future employers while you guys set up comms in the room."

"How will you know who they are and that they'll give us work?"

"I don't but plan B is we go try and find it on our own, fighting a skilled team of mercs and Mother Nature. Those are our options.

"What does Santa's Workshop have to do with this," asked Morgan. It was something he had read on one of the papers Casey dropped. Fire flashed in Casey's eyes.

"Morgan, Alex you never heard that, just erase it for your heads. Morgan, keep your mouth shut about what you read or I'll close it permanently. What you read was highly classified, high enough that people get killed just for knowing it."

"Knowing what?" said Morgan thinking Casey's C-Rats had slid off his freeze dried toast.

"That's right and keep it that way."

Morgan looked over at Alex who looked over at him, there was something more going on than they had been told and the only person Morgan could think to call was over three thousand miles away in Burbank.

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"We're here, this is Doris' house. You know what to do right?" said Sarah as she pulled in the driveway.

"Just follow your lead," said Chuck as he got out and picked up Doris. "If you want when I'm done with Casey's resume on the Darknet you can be his plus one that will get you to Alaska on their mission so you won't be stuck here with us."

"Chuck this is not the time and besides how many times do I have to tell you I'm sorry that's not what I meant to say."

"But you did which makes me wonder if I'm not forcing you to be something you're not. Am I somehow holding you back from being where you want to be out in the field?"

"Oh Chuck, no I'm where I want to be with you, with Sam. You've got to believe me this is where I want to be with all my heart, can you believe me?"

"Sure, I'm all good," said Chuck as they walked up on Doris' stoop and rang her door bell.

"I know your 'all goods' and that was not a real 'all good'," said Sarah as she helped him hold Doris up.

"Okay, it was a fake 'all good'. I just don't know if what I have to offer you is enough. I don't know if you can be truly happy with me knowing what you'll be missing."

"Oh Chuck, once we get rid of Doris we can chat while we wait for our cab," said Sarah as she caressed his face then kissed it.

"Sush someone is coming," said Sarah as the door opened and a man came out in his pyjamas. He looked at them with a puzzled expression and fright seeing his daughter being held up by two strangers.

"Honey, you'd better come here," he yelled back inside. A middle aged woman came to the door in a nightgown and rollers in her hair.

"Doris! Doris! What are you two doing with our baby," yelled the woman. "Harvey, call the police."

"There's no need," said Sarah. "You see my husband and I were out and we met Doris in a nightclub she was drinking a little heavily because she said she wanted to go to Stanford but couldn't afford it, right honey."

"Yes and I'm afraid I didn't help any when I told her I graduated from there and what a good school it was. I really feel sorry for her," said Chuck.

"Crap if only she'd come home first. The admissions office called this evening and told us that an anonymous donor had set up a fund for her that would cover all tuition."

"Wow what a crazy coincidence so I guess everything is going to work out," said Chuck as he passed Doris off to her father. "But you know I wouldn't mention anything about this evening to her when she wakes up tomorrow. I'd just leave it as a little hiccup along the road of life and leave it alone."

"You don't think this is a trend that we need to keep an eye on, like some of those Hollywood actresses or anything like that?"

"Has she ever done anything like this before," asked Sarah. "You know something that would make you think this is a problem?"

"No, no this is the first time anything like this has happened. Right dear?" asked the husband as looked over at his wife and she nodded in agreement.

"Then I wouldn't worry about it. I bet she won't remember a thing tomorrow."

Chuck helped Harvey carry Doris inside and Sarah gave her mother her car keys then they called them a cab that they had to catch down the street. It was late at night and as they walked they talked making their way to the corner to wait for their cab.

"I'm sorry if I over reacted but it just blindsided me completely. All I could think of was that night we spent in Castle with Heather Chandler and Hugo Panzer and what she said about us, about you."

"You mean about me, that I wasn't capable of love, affection and vulnerability. And she told me that you were really in love then she asked me if I was in love with you."

"So you remember that? Sometimes I'm not sure what you remember and what you don't. I'm sorry but with everything that we've gone through and then you said 'Like this I'm never going to get out of here' I couldn't help but wonder if I'm enough, if we're enough for you. Listen the last thing I want is for you to look at our love as a prison and I'm your warden."

"I'm sorry if I hurt you by what I said that wasn't my intention and if you remember I admitted that I was exactly like Heather but then I realized I wasn't that person anymore and Chuck, I don't want to be."

As they were talking a late model Cadillac pulled up next to them, all decked out about three inches off the ground, dice hanging off the rearview mirror with four men inside passing a bottle of Jack around.

"Hey Chica, where are you headed to this late at night? Maybe you'd like to come and party with my boys and me."

"Excuse me this is my wife," said Chuck, "and we're having a private conversation so can you please just move along before someone gets hurt."

"Sweetie, don't antagonize them, just ignore them and let's keep walking. We really don't need this, do we?"

"You're wife? A woman that fine, married to someone like you? No there's something wrong with fate because I think I'm in love," yelled the man on the passenger's side. Chuck started to turn back but Sarah stopped him.

"The taxi should meet us just up ahead so just let it go and keep on walking sooner or later these idiots will move along."

"Hey you guys in the back, the lady just called you guys idiots," yelled the driver in a loud boisterous voice and the men in the back made some cat calls along with other noises that sounded more like they belonged to animals then humans. Seeing Chuck wasn't going to take the bait, the driver sped up and cut them off then he got out.

"I think you've been very impolite to me and my boys. I think me and my boys deserve a kiss to make it up," said the man as he smiled back at the guys in the car and they laughed and yelled 'yeah'. Then to show he meant business he raised his shirt to show a Colt .357 mag revolver he had tucked in his pants.

"Mister, I see what we have here and it's as clear as day. You want to know what it is," said Chuck as he got up close to the man close enough to smell the cheap alcohol on the man's breath.

"Yeah I want to know what it is and you can tell us before me and my boys beat your butt in front of your old woman," said the man as the other men started to get out of the car. But as they started to get out Chuck grabbed hold of the gun in the man's trousers and cocked the hammer back.

"If anyone moves I pull the trigger and we both know what you'll be missing Chica. You know what's clear to me is that you guys are a car full of low life scum dirt bags and you really need to walk home tonight and think about the errors of your ways."

"Love don't you agree," said Chuck. In the meantime Sarah pulled out her Smith and Wesson 9mm to cover the rest of the crew.

"Without a doubt, Sweetie so you guys in the car get out and face down on the sideway before I decide to redo the upholstery in red."

"Tell them to do nothing cute," said Chuck as he twisted the gun in the man's belt. "I'd hate to sneeze; you know my allergies have been known to flare up around trash."

"Do as they say guys please," said the driver. Now he was sweating and beginning to beg Chuck not to pull the trigger. Chuck waited until the men were out and face down with Sarah standing over the top of them then he ripped the man's gun out and put it under his chin.

"I think my wife deserves an apology along with every other woman you've insulted. I want to hear you say it, tell her you're sorry and you won't do it again. Do it or I swear I'll end your miserable existence here tonight."

"I'm sorry, I really am, I'm so sorry please don't kill me," said the man as he started to cry. "Please lady, tell your husband not to kill me."

"Chuck, it's enough let's go," said Sarah. She was beginning to worry if Chuck wasn't taking this too far.

"No it's not enough, where's Romeo, the guy who's in love. You've got to the count of three then I'll just shoot you all. One," said Chuck but he didn't have to count anymore the guy's friends gave him up.

"Good you come over here now," said Chuck, "I want you to kneel next to your friend. You have thirty seconds to get over here or I swear I'll kneecap you before I put a round in your head."

"Please I didn't mean anything by it. I was just goofing around with the guys," said the man as he got up and came over kneeling beside his friend.

"Goofing around I like to goof around too, I know we can play Russian roulette I've got the revolver and you, well I don't know what you've got," said Chuck as he spun the cylinder.

"Wait you can't," said the driver, the man whose gun Chuck had taken, "It's loaded, for Russian roulette you need to have just one round in the cylinder."

"That's just a technicality and with my way it gets the job done faster," said Chuck as everyone looked at him. "Just kidding." Then he pistol whipped both knocking then unconscious.

"Hey, that's so sweet. You defended my honor."

"Well, you know you're my wife, sweetheart," said Chuck as he held the passenger door open but she got in the driver's seat.

"But it still doesn't mean I'm going to let you drive."

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Back at base camp on the glacier a violent ice storm blew in after the plane left. The high winds tore down the tents they had put up and all the men huddled in the Snow Cat to stay warm. With the tents gone they had no place to work to set up the generators to provide power and heat.

"Crap what's our situation," Jake asked his vice in charge.

"We've got two hundred mile an hour winds nothing is standing out there and on this glacier surface there's no protection. I had some of the guys try and get a couple of the generators working but nothing, the temperatures are too low. We're going to have to wait it out here. Didn't someone know this storm was going to blow in?"

"Yeah but we thought we had a larger window of opportunity. Tell the guys to put on extra clothes and we'll start the Snow Cat ever two hours for fifteen minutes to stay warm. We're in the middle of nowhere so we'll have to make do. Just tell the guys to think about what they're going to do with their pay when they get home."

"What do we do if the Snow Cat breaks down in this cold?"

"I'd prefer not to think about it but have you got any suggestions?" asked Jake as the winds seemed to pick up and now they were being threatened with a white out.

"We could try and set up some sort of gas heater inside to stay warm but we need to be careful to the fumes. Setting some sort of ventilation carbon monoxide can slip up on you. Maybe establish watches to make sure the snow doesn't cover the exhaust and gas us all to death."

"Sounds like a plan make it happen and I'll relay everything to the Captain. I know he's not going to be happy but it's the best we can do for now."

"Maybe Wong took the best way out. I hate to think about going to sleep up here and not waking up then have some wolf eat what's left of me in the spring."

"No wolves going to eat us," said Jake. "We're too tough. Just keep telling yourself that and think about the beaches in Brazil. When you're down there you can have a drink on me." Just then the lights inside the Snow Cat blinked off and on. The engine sputtered before it stopped then there was darkness.


	5. Chapter 5

Don't own Chuck

Chuck dropped Sarah off at Echo Park then drove the Punks' car off to a recycling facility the agency operated, a twenty four hour chop shop government owned and operated. One of the guys inside just shook his head thinking what he was about to do was almost sacrilege to an automobile like the one Chuck dropped off but that was his job. One of the guys, Mike gave Chuck a lift home but they made a slight detour first then he dropped him off on the street outside.

"Thanks Mike I appreciate the lift and detour. I hope you won't get into any trouble because of me," said Chuck as he got out of the black SUV with dark tinted windows.

"No problem Agent Carmichael it's all a part of the package deal. Is there anything else I can do for you while I'm here?"

"Well yes and please call me Chuck, first can you take care of this for me," said Chuck as he pulled out the .357 he had taken from the punk.

"Sure Chuck just put it in the glove box; I'll have it tagged back at the shop then send it along for recycling. What else?"

"Well some information and you don't have to answer if this gets too personal. You were a field agent now you work support was it difficult to make the transition?"

"You're asking if I miss all the running around getting shot at and having my life threatened, adrenaline pumping crap. Chuck, you and I both drive the I5 to work every day and plus we live in LA which is hairy enough." They both laughed. "Okay I can see you're serious, I guess you're going through your own existential crisis I gather?"

"Yeah and a friend I'm not sure how to help her. Any tips you have to offer to make this any easier on both of us?"

"It's kind of a natural evolution or devolution in this line of work. The agency likes their field agents to be young and dynamic. Let's face it, it gets tiring running after bad guys and you need sharp reflexes to dodge bullets. And when you age matches you waistline someone will come up and offer you a support role. It's the first step to the desk which will be your pasture where they turn you out to graze."

"Sounds kind of depressing actually," said Chuck. "What do you do about it?"

"Like I said it's kind of a natural order of things. Sure you might get a few missions here and there; I think sometimes it's to try to get you killed so they can save the government money by not having to pay out a pension. But it's not all bad if you've managed to stay married and not gotten divorced you'll have more time at home plus you'll have regular hours.

"Now that doesn't sound so bad," said Chuck as he noticed Mike had a white band around his finger where a wedding band had once been.

"Yeah, which means more time with the kids, if by then they haven't grown up moved out and don't talk to you because you were a lousy father. There's a silver lining here too you can now try to win them back or that's what Dr. Dryfus tells me every Thursday. Step number nine. I spiralled out on booze and drugs. Part of the healing process is to admit there is a problem.

"Right well have a good evening and say hi to the doctor for me," said Chuck. He stood there on the curb as he watched Mike drive away. He couldn't help but wonder if he had done the right thing giving him that gun. He walked into his apartment carrying a white paper bag and announced he was home.

"Honey I'm back," said Chuck as he sat the bag on the table and Sarah came out of Sam's room to meet him in the kitchen.

"Shush," I just got her to go to sleep she was still a little grumpy. I sent Kathleen home when I got in and paid for her cab fare coming and going. It was only the right thing to do. What's this," asked Sarah noticing the white bag sitting in the middle of the table. "I bought Sizzling Shrimp and it's going to go to waste."

"Just look inside and while you're looking I'll get the plates," said Chuck as he went to the cabinet and pulled out two plates, sitting them on the table.

"A cheeseburger," said Sarah as she pulled it out of the bag. Chuck placed the plates on the table and sat down next to her.

"Extra pickles too, I don't want to fight with you. All that matters to me is that you still love me and I love you. I don't care about what you did or didn't mean," he said as he leaned over and kissed her.

"Chuck, I love you and that will never change."

They shared their late night supper then they worked up Casey's cover background uploading it in the right dark site to be considered as a bad man for hire. Then once that was done and they were satisfied with their work they both checked on Sam.

"She doesn't have a fever and the tooth is almost through gum," said Sarah as she tried to look but Sam was squirming in her sleep. Chuck gave a looked at the relay for the IR eye at the door then activated the alarm.

"I can't figure out how she's getting past this everything seems to be working fine," said Chuck.

"Come on we can figure out that mystery tomorrow," said Sarah as she led him back to their bedroom and close the door. Soon the silence of the night was broken by low music and the voice of Nina Simone.

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Casey and his team flew into Ladd Army airfield a joint military civilian airfield late in the evening. They realized they were in the right place when they notice across the runway on the civilian flight line parked among the other private planes a Russian made Antonov AN 12 that had bad guy written all over it. Outside the base as the snow started to come down they hailed a cab.

"Where to," asked the Cab driver looking them over in the rearview mirror. "The weather's supposed to turn bad soon and you guys are my last fares so speak up or take a hike I've made my quota so I really don't give care."

"Sorry to inconvenience you Pops," said Morgan trying to act like Casey. "Take us to the Waldron and make it fast."

"Where to? There isn't any Waldron here sonny so you'd better rethink your accommodations. Why are you guys from the lower forty eight here anyway? Usually you people come here for hunting or to work on the pipeline? But you don't look like the pipeline type and you two don't look like the type to shoot Bambi or Bullwinkle."

"Did you give the people off that plane over there a ride," asked Casey pointing at the Antonov. It was kind of hard not to notice it parked among a group of Cessnas.

"Yeah but take my word, you guys don't want to go anywhere near them, bunch of cut throats and thieves if you ask me. It took me forever to get the stink out of the cab after I got rid of them."

"I want you to drive by where you dropped them off then I want you to take us to the nearest Motel 8 from there," said Casey as he slid him a hundred. "That's above the meter of course."

"Of course," said the taxi driver as he took the C-note then pulled away driving through town until he got to a seedier section as the snow started coming down harder. He pointed to a bar with neon lights outside and a sign with a half-naked woman with a moose head on it. Next to it was a no-tell-motel.

"I dropped them off there. I know they got rooms because I saw them go inside with bags and then they came out carrying none. Listen the guys working on the pipeline come in and blow off steam in there too. Mister you'd probably fit in with no problem but your two friends from the Hobbit that's a different story."

"Okay I've seen enough, now take us to the Motel 8 where we can check in," said Casey trying to figure out in his head what to do with Alex and Morgan.

"No we should get rooms here," said Alex. "If Sarah and Chuck were here, you guys would work out of there, right?"

"But that'd be different," said Casey seeing Alex wasn't going to give up. "They know how to adapt and Morgan doesn't."

"So now it's Morgan's fault now? Come on Dad you can come up with a better excuse than that. No we're checking in here."

"Listen, you guys the snow is coming down hard now. You've got about thirty seconds to make a decision or get the hell out of my cab."

"Okay hold your horses," said Casey. He was getting heated his back was in a corner. "Okay, we'll get out here but you two stay in the room while I go scout out the place and make initial contact." Casey paid for the cab then they made their way to the motel.

"Remember Dad I'm supposed to be like any other agent. I don't want any special treatment," said Alex as she grabbed her bag and walked over to the motel. Casey watched Alex walk over to the motel and he knew he was in deep trouble but he was proud too.

"Don't worry, I'll keep her safe you can count on me," said Morgan as he turned to walk after her slipping on the ice and fell straight down sitting in the new snow.

"Thanks I feel better already," said Casey as he stepped over him to catch up with Alex. "Get up idiot you look like a snow hen trying to lay an egg."

They walked in the motel, stomped their feet then went up to the clerk who looked them over. He looked like he'd been next door a few too many times and his cologne smelt like it came from a brown paper bag.

"How you want your room by the day or by the hour," asked the man as he spit into a soda can smiling at Alex. "If it's by the hour I'll take the second hour."

Casey reached across the counter and grabbed the guy by the shirt and yanked up slamming him on the counter. There was a loud crack as the wooden counter partial broke and he made a muffled moan as he hit.

"Listen and listen up close we'll decide how long we want our rooms. Here's my credit card, swipe it and charge us when we leave. Instead of asking how long we want the room for you should be asking how long you want to live. I want two adjoining rooms got that." The man nodded his head as he rubbed his back then handed Casey gently two sets of keys.

Casey took them up to their rooms and had them set up a comms link so they could check in with Castle. As they were doing that Casey noticed Morgan and Alex unpacking together.

"Oh no Morgan, you're sleeping with me on this side. Alex is sleeping by herself with this door open so I can keep an eye on her. Any protest out of you and you'll have guard duty at the plane until we're done. Finish setting up the comm gear and I'm going to make a pass in the bar next door to see what I can find out."

"John we can close the adjoining door if you get lucky. All you need to do is hang a sock on the door and we won't bother you."

"You'll be lucky if you survive this mission in one piece and if that door is closed your life expectancy will be shorter than a May fly," said Casey as he zipped up his parka and headed back out.

Casey was talking to himself under his breath when he left the room growling and grunting. He was complaining that this was no way to run a railroad and was so wrapped up in his situation that he didn't notice a man coming out a room down the hall so he ran right into him.

"Watch where you go," barked Casey even though the accident was his fault and kept on walking.

"You watch out mister, who do you think you are," yelled the man back as he grabbed Casey by the shoulder and spun him around getting ready to punch. But as the two turned around with fists drawn back they looked at each other.

"Hey Major is that you?" said Ivan as he blinked twice at Casey to make sure it was really him.

"Ivan, you crazy Russian, how the hell have you been. No it makes sense I saw that Antonov parked on the tarmac. I should've known it was yours."

"Well it's not mine officially, it belongs to my boss but when this job is done it'll be mine. So where are you headed? You look like you were all pissed off.

"Oh I came up here to do a job with a security company on the pipeline and it fell through so not only am I out the price of the ticket but I'm also stuck in the middle of nowhere."

"My friend, it looks like you could use a drink or two. Follow me and we'll see what we can do about that."

"I'd say a few," said Casey as they left together for the bar. "So Ivan what brings you up here? It has to be drugs, weapons or diamonds, maybe a combination of all thee."

"Oh how well you know me but I'm really not supposed to say anything to anyone about it. My boss gets bent out of shape really easily."

"But I'm not just anybody. I'm the man who saved your life remember."

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Sarah woke up early it was five in the morning or that was what her alarm clock said. She was not a morning person and that was putting it lightly. Over the course of her thirty some odd years of existence she had taken the lives of numerous electronic annoyances that interrupted her slumber. When she was in school they reminded her that she had to face another day of humiliation then as she crew older they reminded her that this was the day she'd have to do something she really didn't want to which usually ended in at least one homicide if not more. This one had set a record for peaceful co-habitation simply because Chuck had given it to her. But it was five and she was awake and she didn't know why.

"Chuck, Sweetie are you awake," she said in a low voice but judging from his breathing and the fact that his eyes were closed she figured no.

"Crap now what," she said to herself as she got up and went to Sam's room. There she found her daughter still asleep hugging Mr. Rabbit and Mr. Bear in death grips so she went into the kitchen and made a pot of coffee. As she was waiting on the coffee she remembered there was still rice and shrimp in the fridge leftover from the night before so her breakfast was set.

"What kind of breakfast is this Sarah," she said to herself. She'd been Sarah for so long that calling herself by her real name felt strange. "Chuck cooks pancakes or waffles for breakfast and what do you do? Eat leftovers from the night before. There has to be something wrong with you. Jesus I must be going crazy I'm talking to myself." But that didn't stop her from pouring herself a cup of coffee and digging into the box. Actually day afters weren't so bad. As she was finishing the box and about to get her second cup of coffee she looked down and standing in the corner of the kitchen just off the hall leading back to the bedrooms was Sam with Mr. Rabbit in hand.

"How'd you get here," she asked as she held out her hands and a sleepy eyed little girl ran to her to be held. "You know you should be asleep. Okay let's get you some real food."

Sarah got together some fruit and cereal. She mixed them together then added a little yoghurt. Sam watched her diligently from her highchair where Sarah fed her afterwards.

"Open up wide. There we go," said Sarah as she fed her one spoonful after another. Once she was done she took Sam back to her room where she changed and dressed her.

"There you go all pretty for the day," said Sarah as Sam grabbed hold of her face and kissed her. Sarah's eyes watered up and she kissed her on the forehead.

"How could I have said what I said last night? I didn't mean it," said Sarah as she took Sam to the living room where she could play. "You believe me don't you?" But Sam seemed more interest in trying to feed Mr. Rabbit a plastic carrot then she turned and looked perplexed at Sarah.

"Yes that's what they eat. Is there some part of me that wants to be out in the field? I was always on the run with Jack maybe I just can't settle down. Maybe Chuck was right to put his guard but I love your father. I love him more that I knew I was capable of loving and I know he loves me. Does any of this make sense?" asked Sarah as Sam continued to play with Mr. Rabbit. "And of course we love you."

"Yes we do," said Chuck as he came walking in from the bedroom. "What are you doing up? It's awfully early for you. You could've woken me up."

"You always let me sleep in so I thought I'd return the favour," she said avoiding the question why she was awake. She wondered how much of her previous conversation he had heard. "If you're thinking about fixing breakfast we've already eaten. Oh and I put a pot of coffee on."

"I see the empty box from Sizzling Shrimp on the table," said Chuck as he held up the box. "I hope you didn't feed Sam it too."

"No of course not I fixed her some fruit with cereal," she said as Chuck began to laugh. "But you knew that you were just making fun of my abilities in the kitchen, weren't you?"

"I'm sorry I know I shouldn't but this whole Betty Crocker thing you had going yesterday freaked me out. I love you the way you are and the last thing I want is for you to try and be someone you're not. You'll just end up feeling miserable. It's like when you first hung your clothes in our closet do you remember? I told not to unpack and do you remember why I told you that?

"You told me if I did it then, it'd only be because we were talking about it, and you don't want me to do it because of that."

"I wanted you to do it when you felt comfortable here, when you felt at home."

"But I do feel comfortable here with you and Sam you two are my home. Chuck, it's just it doesn't come naturally to me, staying in one place. I'm trying to learn."

I know. You were always on the run with your dad, and being a spy doesn't make it easy to make a home anywhere. I understand. It's just what you're used to. But we love you and want you with us."

"And I do to. Let's try and give this base support a chance and see if we can't make it work."

"There's one thing I want to check out I thought I saw something odd yesterday when we were watching that display. Let me play it once again," said Chuck as he put the flash drive in and the display came on.

"Wow," said Sam as she watched all the things moving around and the bright lights and colors. Both she and Mr. Rabbit liked the light show.

"What are we watching for," said Sarah as she took a sip from her coffee cuddling up next to Chuck. Then she saw it. She flashed. Mathematical formulas and algorithms popped through her head as she looked at Chuck who nodded back. "You saw it too that satellite changed orbits over the North Pole. In ordered to move like that someone would have to order it to fire directional thrusters at three point five second intervals twice."

"You make astrophysics sound sexy but we have a problem because according to the General the satellite should have been malfunctioning at the same time. I saw it in the report she gave Casey. How does a malfunctioning satellite perform a precision manoeuvre as it's malfunctioning? Or was it malfunctioning at all maybe it was following orders, just not theirs."

"You think they were hacked."

"Yes and if they did then Casey needs to infiltrate this group. They could be on the fast track to recovering this memory module that everyone seems to want. We should contact Casey and let him know."

"But then he'll tell Beckman about your hack."

"It's a chance I think we have to take. We're talking about Morgan and Alex's safety too."


	6. Chapter 6

Don't own Chuck

Kathleen was running late she had some errands she had to get done before she could come over to watch Sam so they made a deal that she'd pick Sam up at the Buy More. Chuck went straight down below to setup a computer in one of the interrogation cells were he could turn off the video feeds and isolated the computer from the net to operate the flash drive without Big Brother watching over his shoulder. This way if he needed, he could use the Castle mainframe to examine data bits without Beckman knowing about his little rouge mission, a little of not letting the left hand know what the right hand is doing.

"Okay I've got everything set up and running in Castle but I'd like for you to come and look over my calculations with me, nothing like have a second opinion."

"Sweetie this isn't medicine and Kathleen hasn't shown up yet. Castle's no place for a baby especially one like ours. Just think about what's lying around down there."

"Yeah like those nice yellow tennis balls like the ones Sam likes to play with at home. Except ours are phosphorus grenades not exactly rated K-12."

"Not mention all of Casey's toys in the armoury. Even if it's locked up I don't want to take the risk, do you?"

"No you're right there is only one place left. We'll have to lock her up in a holding cell," said Chuck as he took Sam out of her stroller and she slapped him across the face making a loud 'wack'.

"There that serves you right," said Sarah as she took Sam from him. "No, no, and hell no! Is anyone going to put you in a holding cell? Not if I can help it and my two friends agree Mr. Smith and Wesson. Over my cold dead body."

"Ouch," said Chuck as he rubbed his cheek. "I was just joking guys. No one can take a joke these days."

"Bartowski," said Big Mike as he came up behind them and they both turned to him. "I'm sorry I meant the one who works here. I need to talk to you, can you please come over here. Sorry Sarah I need to have a word with Chuck. Boy your girl is getting prettier everyday but you really ought to take her out more, the kid needs some color."

Sarah laughed because she thought he was making a pun but when he didn't laugh and looked at her like she was crazy she realized he was serious.

"No you're absolutely right but we've been so busy lately," she said but she saw the look on his face that said he was sure she was crazy. "You're right no excuses we should absolutely."

"Right… well if you don't mind I'll have Chuck right back just one second," said Big Mike took Chuck an aisle over. "Jesus, Chuck I don't want to get into your business but..."

"I know we shouldn't have brought Sam to work. I'm sorry but our sitter was running late and we only had one car so we were in a bind. You understand don't you?"

"I understand and to tell you the truth I like your little carpet commando but I don't know if the bosses will like it. If you bring in your kid the rest will bring in theirs. Do you know if these other clowns have kids? Don't answer that, I've seen unsolved mysteries and to think that some of these fools actually reproduced would be horrifying. Just picture a little Carrot Top," said Big Mike as they looked over at him circling Sarah and Sam. "Some things are just too horrible to imagine, crimes against nature. Take your wife and run Chuck. Go over to her yoghurt shop and hide out, I mean wait for your sitter there. If I need you, I'll come looking for you there. Jesus just thinking about this people in little people version scares the crap out of me I think I'm going to the manager's office since Morgan is going."

"Yeah if I were you I'd eat a few pastries and repeat to myself there's no place like home."

"I always knew you were a kindred soul Chuck let's keep the faith and this nightmare will go away at least I hope."

Chuck was about to take Sarah out when Kathleen showed up. They went out in the parking lot and after a quick sitrep Sarah put Sam in her car seat. She kissed her and told her she's see her that evening and one of the hardest things she did was to stand there as she watched Kathleen drive off. Chuck could tell something was still going on with Sarah but he thought it best to be cool. He just put his arm around her and pulling her in tight then kissed her.

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Casey and Ivan went into the watering hole and got a table. The inside looked like something out of a Jack London novel. There were false logs with mud mortar and a moose head over the bar. The furniture inside was even made of dark cedar and pine. The place was probably nice at one time but had gone been going downhill recently. Now there was graffiti written everywhere, most of which was explicit and names were carved into the wood. Jimmy Smith was here Dec 1968 like someone really cared. The place was a dive bar for people who wanted to look at life through the bottom of a bottle.

"Name your poison," said Ivan as old woman in a too tight cocktail dress bulging from every part and fishnet stockings stood over them to take their orders. "You like single malt Scotch, if I remember right John?"

"Yeah but I don't want to take your money. Just make it a bourbon two fingers neat. Oh and don't try to pass off any of that watered down crap or we'll have a problem," said Casey as the woman smiled at him with her half rotten teeth then spit into a can.

"Sure sailor boy. I'll serve you up a special," she said as she winked at him. "And for you?"

"I'll have the same and make sure you wipe the glasses down before you fill them," said Ivan as the woman walked off.

"I think she likes you. Play your cards right and you might be taking that home with you tonight," said Ivan laughing.

"I'll need more than just a couple drinks for that to happen," said Casey. "So you hit it big on this score any room for one more?"

"Like I said my boss gets spooked real easy and he's not the kind of guy you want to piss off. If he has the slightest doubt you're gone and I don't mean with a pink slip. When he lets you go it's usually to rest in peace if you understand what I mean?"

"Yeah I get your point but I still got to make a living and I can't do that here and it's a long walk home so like I said do you think there's room for one more?"

"Who's your friend Ivan," asked a man in his late thirties well-built dark hair and dark brown eyes. "I'm sorry but I only caught the tail end of your conversation where you were saying you were looking for work."

"Hey buddy this is a private conversation that my friend and I were having so if you don't mind take a hike before my chair has a problem with your head."

"John calm down this is my boss, Captain Perry. Captain Perry this is Major John Casey US Marine Corps."

"Nice to meet you and sorry about the misunderstanding," said John as he shook the man's hand. "That's former Major, my Colonel and I had a disagreement over my drinking. He told me to give him my bottle and I did, up beside the head. He got a broken jaw and hairline fracture while I got the big chicken dinner, a BCD."

"I know what it is. But what has Ivan's told you about what we do? We might not be the group for you and I'm kind of selective about who I hire. I can tell from your story that you have a problem with authority and you've got a temper. If you worked for us you'll be working for me, would that be a problem?"

"No, does that mean I have the job?" asked Casey as Ivan looked at the Captain a little marvelled at how fast his was moving.

"Certain vacancies have just arisen. I can use a guy with your skill set; the only thing is I need you out front geared up in an hour ready to go. Salary will be, well let's just say this will be the best paying gig you've ever had."

"Roger that I'll go get my gear and meet you out front. What do I need to look for?"

"There'll be a black SUV that will run us to the airport then Ivan will take us to the site. I'll explain everything once we're in the air." Casey downed his drink then got up and left heading back to the motel.

"Captain I don't want to question you but wasn't that a little fast. I mean yeah I knew him and the guy save my life but that was a long time ago. Don't ask me to vouch for him."

"We'll have another round," said the Captain as the barmaid came back then disappeared. "We need him I lost communications with our basecamp. The last report I got from them was a storm blew through causing heavy damage and in this climate that can be fatal. Besides if he's not who he says he is we can just as easily kill him. Drink up; you're going to have to fly through that mess outside."

"They call me Crazy Ivan for a reason."

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Chuck and Sarah had just gotten into Castle when they got a call from Morgan that they needed to make contact. Chuck initiated the handshake and the devices began to communicate with each other followed by static on the monitor than Casey's smiling face.

"Where were you guys," grunted Casey. "Listen up I don't have long to speak. I've made contact with some players here and am going undercover. I'm leaving the Troll and Alex here to monitor and report back to you."

"Do you think that's prudent? John this was supposed to be Alex's big mission it's not much of a mission looking out a hotel window. Who are you going with and where are you going?"

"My 'in' is a Russian pilot I met in Costa Gravas, Crazy Ivan." Both Chuck and Sarah flashed. They saw Ivan's picture on a list of rap sheets from just about every judicial organization on the planet with his name being implicated in moving just about anything that can be transported by plane.

"Good you know him," said Casey realizing they had flashed, "but the wild card is a man who goes by the name of Captain Perry, anything in the brain computer either of you?" But neither flashed. "I didn't think you would, Captain Perry is obviously a false identity. I'll try and get you a picture. I've got to go now they're going to pick me up out front then we're supposed to fly out on an Antonov AN-12 they've got on the tarmac here at Fairbanks."

"John the only place the can land something like that is close to the crash site is on Kahiltna Glacier. It just happens to be the longest glacier of the Alaska Range."

"Crash site? You guys haven't been doing what you were told not to do, have you? Bartowski and I'm talking to both of you. Stay out of this can of worms. Take my word you won't like what you find."

"Listen John the satellite didn't just fall out of the sky," said Chuck worried about Casey. "It was brought down on purpose after its course was altered which means there's an organization, a large organization behind it that can fund something like this."

"No kidding the kind that can buy an Antonov and hire mercs for top dollar and not care if they get killed off. I got the idea that they sent in a team before us, the weather up here went sideways and my guess they weren't prepared and became Merc sickles."

"In various flavors brought to you by the good humor guy," added Morgan just before Casey shoved him away from the camera.

"Will you pipe down moron," barked Casey. "Adults are speaking. Listen I've got to go but I'll try and get a photo of this Captain Perry to you for facial recognition. I'll take a tracking device with me but I won't activate it until we're at the crash site. I'll take the memory module from them then make my way out."

"John, if you activate the tracker I can coordinate a rescue mission from Ladd through Delta Force. They've got a logistics base in Korea; I can bring them up for some 'routine' exercise as a cover. Remember what you told about being the Lone Ranger."

"Okay Chuck, but you need to clear that through Beckman and remember what I said about running rogue missions on your own. Casey out."

"After all these years you'd think John would know you better by now. Telling you not to do something is like giving you the green light to go ahead."

"But you know me and that's all that matters," said Chuck as he pulled her close and kissed her.

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Casey organized Morgan and Alex to make a walk by. Morgan and Alex both would wait outside the motel. Then when the Mercedes SUV pulled up, they would follow behind him chatting like they didn't know him. When he was about to get in he'd hold the door open long enough so Morgan acting like he was taking a picture of Alex would take a picture of the people inside the vehicle and hopefully take one of this Captain Perry.

However, that was the plan, but when the time came to put words into action things didn't go exactly as they were rehearsed. Casey walked over to the SUV with Morgan and Alex behind him.

"Are you sure this is the place your brother told us to come to," asked Morgan. "It looks kind of run down and if you ask me it's certainly full of local color."

"I don't know what to say I should call him and make sure this is the right place. What do you think? I'm afraid we're lost."

Just then a drunk staggered up getting in the middle and began to talk to Alex. He was so close she could smell his putrid breath that was a mix of alcohol and food. He probably didn't even own a tooth brush.

"Well if your lost sweetness I can show you the way but it will cost you some sugar," he said as he tried to grab hold of her. Casey was about to turn round and blow his cover when Morgan grabbed the guy spun him around. With one punch Morgan laid him out flat. Casey smiled maybe his diamond polishing was working after all. Morgan smiled back and showed him that he was wearing Chuck's tranq glove he borrowed when they left.

"The show's over," yell Ivan from inside, "we need to get wheels up before this soup gets worse. Come on get in."

"Yeah, come on John I can't wait around for round two. Maybe I ought to hire that little guy the sucker packs a wicked punch."

"My hero," said Alex trying to recover positon. "Let me take your picture to send to my brother that'll put the fear of God in him."

"No one messes around with my gal and gets away with it," said Morgan as Alex snapped the picture while Casey held the door open. Alex was jumping up and down inside with joy that they had pulled it off despite what had happened.

"Ivan I'll let you introduce John to our guys since he's your friend," said the Captain as Casey got in the SUV pulling the door behind him. "Crap, I forgot my phone in the bar," said Perry. "Wait here while I run back in, Frank can you come and help me look for it."

"Sure no problem," said Frank. They both got out and went back inside but as they walked in Perry kept an eye on Alex and Morgan seeing which way they were going.

"You want me to start looking at your table or beat the barmaid. She already looks like someone worked her over with an ugly stick."

"No, I didn't lose my phone. I wanted you to check out that couple that we just saw out in the street. There's something off about them, the way they happened to take that picture when the new guy got in the car."

"If you don't trust him why don't you just off him like you did Wong? You're the boss and there's no reason to screw around."

"Because he's Ivan's friend and we need that crazy Russian to get us in and out. The only way is to bring irrefutable proof then Ivan may ice him for us but for now I want you to snoop around find out their story and let me know. Our client was expecting a couple to come but I don't know if these are the right couple. We'll be at the airport you've got a couple of hours see what you can find out. Start with the motel guy then give me a call if something doesn't check out."

Perry went back outside and climbed back in the SUV then took off. Morgan and Alex watched then from their window as they drove away.

"Can I get a high five partner on a job well done partner," said Morgan as he raise his hand. "Now a fist bump then blow it up. There we go."

"Okay Morgan enough fooling around we need to get these pics back to Sarah and Chuck. Dad needs to know who he's up against," said Alex as she initiated an uplink with Castle and began to upload but the connection was slow so it would take a little time.

Meanwhile downstairs…

"Yeah I want to know about the two short people who checked in, one had a Dorothy Wizard of Oz thing going on and she was with a munchkin friend of hers with a beard like something out of the hobbit."

"The what? Are you speaking English? I see your mouth move but I don't understand a word. I don't have time for this type of crap just gets me in trouble and my clients get mad. You know we have a reputation to uphold." The man laid a C-note on the counter then pulled out a glock. "That's the honey and this is the jam. If I don't get some answers soon I'm going to jam this down your throat and pull the trigger."

"Okay, okay no need to get bent out of shape over nothing," said the man as he explained about how Casey and the rest checked in. He told Frank their room numbers and gave him the master key. Perry and his crew were pulling into the airport when he got a call from Frank.

"You were right that couple checked in with Ivan's friend they know each other. What do you want me do?"

"Do whatever you think is necessary but remember what we talked about," said Perry as he looked around the inside of the vehicle.

"Is something wrong," asked Casey. "You seemed to be a little spooked for a while there. Is Frank going to meet us before we leave?"

"I don't know yet we have to wait and see."

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Morgan and Alex were on the monitor with Chuck and Sarah. They had just downloaded the picture they had taken of the men inside the SUV and were discussing Casey's strategy which none of them really liked.

"Guys, I'm not happy with it either," said Sarah, "but Casey is the senior officer present so what he says goes. Let us run all this past the General and see what we can do but for now you need to follow orders."

"But guys," said Alex. "Dad started acting weird after he met that Air Force Colonel in Travis that handed him a folder and told him he couldn't open it until we were in the air."

"Did he open it and did you get to see what was written?" asked Chuck matching Casey's strange behaviour with some of the strange things he had told them.

"No he just told me and you guys that there was this other team looking for the satellite too. That was it. When I tried to look at it he took it to the shredder and destroyed it."

"Well that isn't exactly true. I was waking up from a forced nap," said Morgan and they all knew what that meant he'd been darted. "I was walking forward to the cockpit when Casey dropped the folder and I tried to help him pick up the papers. He shoved me away but that's when I saw it."

"What Morgan? What did you see?"

"On one of the pages in bold block print was written Santa's Work Shop sorry but that's all I saw. Then he shoved me against the wall and continued to shred."

"Morgan, are you sure that's what you saw? You saw it exactly like what you just said 'Santa's Work Shop in bold block letters?"

"Yeah I'm positive, why is it important?" asked Morgan but Alex interrupted.

"Shush, we've got someone outside I think he's trying to break in. Sarah what do we do?"


	7. Chapter 7

Don't own Chuck

Chuck and Sarah heard what Alex said and they knew they had to think fast or the team was lost. But what could they do over three thousand miles away. Think Chuck your father built the intersect to help people and now your friends need your help more than ever. Then he flashed and it was a big one, the mother load. He saw the building plans of the motel they were staying in along with the ten notices from the public health department and two from the local fire warden threaten to close the fire trap then he got to the floor plans of their rooms. He knew what had to be done.

"Sarah I need for you to stand on the other side out of view and hand me a folder when I nod. Alex, pull out your piece and have it ready."

"But Chuck it's in my bag in the other room I don't think I have time to go get it. What do we do?" Chuck thought about reminding her about the thirty foot rule but this was not the time and he needed her focused.

"Oh Dude we're so dead," said Morgan about to panic.

"Morgan you're not helping," said Chuck. "Okay Alex go get your weapon but be quiet about it. Morgan sit at the monitor with your back to the door and don't move."

"But that's an open invitation for him to shoot me in the back of the head. You know this whole bullet magnet thing is getting old, fast."

"Morgan after you've been shot a few times you'll discover it's not so bad," said Chuck as Sarah smiled. "Especially by the ones you love. Okay Alex get a move on it, Morgan sit in place put in your earpiece so I can talk you through this."

Chuck held up a copy of the grainy photo they had taken of the men inside the SUV and flashed. Now he hoped that one of the men in the photo was the man coming through the door his whole plan depended on it. Chuck watched the door open slowly behind Morgan then a figure move in through the shadows.

"Morgan don't panic he's right behind you. Crap, I can't see his face move your head a little to the left." Naturally Morgan move his head in the wrong direction but it didn't matter Chuck caught a glimpse of the guy's face in a mirror then flashed. Chuck switch audio feeds so that he could talk to the intruder.

"'Soor dik yoil' Good evening Frank or should I call you Kazbek Kasboolat, Morgan can you please move so I can see our guest."

"Slowly and let me see your hands," said Frank as he covered Morgan with a supressed Makarov. Frank looked around for a moment trying to figure out where the voice was coming that knew his name.

"As-sa-lam-u `a-lay-kum Kazbek Kasboolat," said Chuck as he gave him a formal hello in his native Chechen language.

"Hahn tse hooh yu?" said Frank obviously taken aback that there was someone on a monitor who knew who he really was and was speaking his native language.

"My name is not important my dear Frank what is, is that I know who you are and where you come from. The dossier please," said Chuck to Sarah as she handed him the folder and smiled. "Thank you my dear."

"How is this possible? Who do you work for the CIA, the FSB?" asked Frank as he was visibly shaken going through a list of acronyms like a machine gun.

"Again you're asking questions that are not important. You really aren't very good at this game my friend. I've got all the names of your friends," said Chuck as he opened the empty folder and pretended to read them off. "You see I know them all and I know where they come from which means I know how to reach their families. Am I making myself clear?" Frank looked over at Morgan.

"No Frank, look back at me I'm the one you have to deal with. I'm the one who knows about your sister, what's her name?" said Chuck as he looked back at the empty folder.

"Busana," said Frank barely audible but enough for Chuck to hear him.

"Yes Busana, it's all right here. That means 'moon child' doesn't it," said Chuck as Frank nodded. "She has children."

"She has a baby girl," said Frank realizing that he was in trouble deep.

"Yes, Deshi I believe you call her," said Chuck and he knew from the look on Frank's face he had sunk his battleship.

"In the family but how do you know these things? Who are you," said Frank as he got angry. "Listen we've got your spy and these two." Frank stopped talking all of sudden as he realized that he was missing one looking around there was a loud gunshot and the monitor fell over going off.

"Morgan, talk to me," yelled Chuck. "Morgan, tell me what's going on." Chuck switched the audio back to Morgan's earpiece. "Morgan can you hear me little buddy tell us what's going on." Sarah walked over and put her arm around Chuck felt desperate as they feared the worst. Then the monitor came back on and Morgan switched the audio connections.

"We're all okay here but Frank isn't," said Morgan as he turned the camera to show Frank lying on the ground in a pool of his own blood. "Alex shot him when he turned on her with his gun in his hand."

"Alex," said Sarah "you have to put this out of your mind. Look the police will be there soon you need to grab what you can carry and run. Morgan, pat down Frank look for a phone or something he used to communicate with his boss with then go to Ladd. We'll coordinate an extraction team from here. Alex, are you listening to me?" Sarah was worried that Alex had frozen still in shock after killing Frank and the fact that she wasn't speaking seemed to confirm what she thought.

"Morgan, you've got to take point on this and run. You've got get out of there. You might have to shove Alex around but she has to react. This isn't the time to dwell on ethics. Morgan I know you can handle this, get it done and when you get to Ladd give us a call." They signed out.

"I knew she wasn't ready," said Chuck. "If she'd given me a little bit longer I could've turned Frank and used him against his own group but naturally she's Casey's daughter."

"Sweetie laying blame won't help them now and what does her being Casey's daughter have to do with anything?" said Sarah thinking that she was Jack's.

"She inherited an itchy trigger finger. I'm going to have to give you all lessons on the benefits of tranq guns."

"You can talk until you're blue in the face but there's a truism you're overlooking. One shot and they don't get to shoot you anymore. Just saying you never let a bad guy get away. By the way how did you know Frank had a sister who had a daughter and the kid's name? It's not in the intersect."

"Actually I didn't but Chechens have large families so there was bound to be a sister. I never said he had one I said 'I'm the one who knows about your sister, what's her name?' then looked in the folder so I had him confirm there was a sister and her name. Most Chechens marry young so I guessed she had to have a baby by now and about the name. I have no idea what her name was but he was blond and so was his mother and father so I figured it was a hereditary trait. So the baby was probably blond but the word Deshi means gold or golden which could be something nice they called the baby in the family which made it sound like I knew them intimately."

"Don't take this the wrong way but you're getting too good at this job. You'd be a good interrogator or a bad one depending on which side of the table the other person was sitting."

"The only question I wanted to know from you was one you answered when I asked you if you loved me. That's all I need to know from you," said Chuck as he kissed her.

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Perry's SUV pulled into the restricted area of the airport driving through two check points making their way carefully through the fresh snow to the Antonov. Perry's gang offloaded the vehicle and began loading preparing for take-off.

"You guys need to hurry up," said Ivan, "I need to get this thing up before tower control closes down the runway then we're in the muck here. John can you come with me and help me run through pre-flights."

"Ivan no, take your co-pilot I'm going to need all my men back here with me," said the Captain as he looked straight into Ivan's eyes like he was daring him to argue. Ivan didn't like look, he knew something was wrong.

"Sorry John maybe you can come up and teach me how you landed our plane. I was kind of out of it," said Ivan trying every way he knew to give Casey a heads up without looking obvious.

"Ivan don't you have things to do so go on up to the cockpit?" said Perry. "I thought you were in a hurry to get us out of here?"

"Yeah, yeah got to go," said Ivan as he glanced back at John. "I'm really sorry." But one of Perry's men shoved him along. Just then Casey felt his phone vibrate a text message. He already knew something was up by the way Ivan was acting so he tried to read it discreetly.

"Is there something wrong," said Perry. He had sent Ivan on now he could turn his attention back to Casey.

"No just a guy I used to work with bothering me, looking for work," said Casey. "Bartowski I could strangle you for texting me now." He muttered to himself then he read the message. 'Run your cover's blown.' That was when John understood why Frank hadn't come back and why Ivan was acting odd.

"Maybe I can give him a job too. Let me have his number," said Perry as he reached out for Casey's phone.

"No the guy's just a pain you wouldn't want him on your team take my word for it," said John as he backed towards exit.

"But I insist," said Perry as he drew his weapon holding it down by his side. Casey noticed Perry's men trying to circle him.

"Well if you insist," said Casey. He pulled it out of his pocket but as he handed to the Captain he dropped it. As everyone looked down Casey turned and bolt out the exit. The only problem was they were inside the cargo hold, two decks up so when he went out he fell the equivalent of three floors.

"Crap after him," yelled Perry as he went to the exit but they only saw Casey limping off in the snow. Perry fired but missed as he ran behind some hangars.

"Do you want us to go after him," asked one of his men as they were trying to judge the distance down and if the snow would cushion their fall.

"No, no doesn't matter anyway we just need to get up in the air. He doesn't know where we're going. I'll text Frank to handle him."

"What do you want to do about Ivan? He was his friend after all and he recommended him," said one of the men.

"Ivan needs this gig too and he's a practical man but if he gives us trouble once we're done we really won't need him anymore. Terrible thing plane crashes hard to identify the remains."

Casey had only one thought as he limped through the hangars; he had to get back to Alex and Morgan. He made his way past the gates they had driven through. He couldn't risk raising the alarm with the gate guards they were almost certainly on Perry's payroll. Casey hobbled out into the road looking for a late model car to hotwire as the snow came down. But today was John's lucky day, he saw a man pull up in a Dodge truck and park in a tow zone. The driver evidently wasn't going to be long because he left the engine running. As soon as the man went inside Casey jumped in dropped it into drive and took off.

The pain in his leg was starting to hurt. He knew he probably had a fracture but there was nothing he could do about it. His only thoughts were to get to Alex as quickly as he could. He almost went sideways coming around a corner in the snow. The pain went from a low throb to a sharp stab from a three to an eight on the ten scale and increasing. It was getting so bad that it was beginning to impair his ability to drive but he had to go on.

Finally he got back to the motel bar; he didn't know he just got there. Getting out he noticed two black SUVs with men wearing black suits and earpieces floating outside. He drew his Sig and went into combat mode barely able to stand he made his way across the parking lot with his weapon raised at the men ready to take as many as he could with him.

"Hold on," yelled one of the men in black. "Guys be cool. Colonel Casey put your weapon down. My name is Agent Thompson we're out of the office at Adak. Agent Carmichael called us in for respond and clean up." Just then a stretcher came out with a body on it.

"Clean up! Out of my way my daughter's in there," said Casey as he tried to push his way through.

"Calm down Colonel if your daughter is a thirty-five year old Chechen that went by the name Frank then that's your daughter on the stretcher but other than him there's no one else here."

"Leave the quips to me," said Casey as he collapsed in the snow. The snow was cool and he felt hot. It felt wonderfully numbing, everything went numb then slowly he closed his eyes and he went out.

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Morgan and Alex made their way across town. The snow was starting to come down harder and the size of the flakes even seemed bigger. It was coming down so hard that the flakes were actually making an audible noise as the struck the ground.

"Come on Morgan you've got to keep up. I know it's cold, I feel it too but we can't think about it. We have to keep on going."

"I'm glad you're doing better but can we rethink this plan somehow it just doesn't seem safe and it's not what we were told to do."

"I know this is not what Chuck and Sarah told us to do but it's what they would do. My Dad's in trouble and we have to save him. The airfield should be just up ahead. Follow me Morgan," said Alex as she jumped in the back of a service vehicle that was driving through the gate. They were in.

"Now what?" said Morgan but he knew that when Alex put her mind made up to something there was no stopping her and in this she was like her father.

"Now we make it to that Russian plane Dad saw when we flew in and search it to see if he's on board."

"You mean that one the one that's pulling up on the flight line," said Morgan as he pointed out the Antonov starting to roll down the tarmac. "What do we do now?"

"Come on we're going to follow them," said Alex as she went over to where the Cessnas were parked.

"Are you sure about this," said Morgan coming to grips with his phobia and realizing it was the girl or his fears.

"Morgan if you want you can stay behind but I'm going. Pull out the chocks from the tires," said Alex as she got the plane prep'd. Inside she took a screwdriver jamming it into the ignition switch serving as the key then she primer the engine before starting up, pushing in on the throttle to regulate the gas. Just then the door opened up and Morgan climbed in.

"If we're going to die we'll die together. I love you Alex," said Morgan. "But if at all possible I'd like to live another day to tell you I love you again."

"I'd like that too," said Alex as she began rolling out. Needless to say the air traffic controller in the tower tried to stop her.

"Tower control to Cessna aircraft invading the flight line stop what you're doing and wait for instructions. Cessna aircraft you are in violation of FAA regulations stop and await instructions." But at this point it was obvious Alex wasn't going to stop. The Tower dispatched emergency vehicles to try and force her to stop but at the same time they cleared aircraft from her path. Because of the snow they were unable to get to her before she lifted off. In her waked she left a string of emergency response vehicles sliding across the tarmac. Once up they started their hunt for the Antonov and shortly after take-off Morgan's phone began to ring.

"It's Chuck, what do I tell him? They're going to be mad at us."

"I don't know Morgan I'm kind of busy here. Just put him on speaker and we'll talk to him together," said Alex as she looked over at him. "You know I know it took a lot of courage to get in this plane with me, especially the way you feel about flying."

"I did it for you and you know what, I'd do it again," said Morgan as his phone continued to ring."

"You'd better get that so we can see just how pissed off every one is at us, said Alex so Morgan answered.

"Chuck, how are things back in Burbank. Here they're really cool but I guess you know that already. Hey, how about a slushy when we get back?"

"Cut it Morgan," said Chuck. "I just got off the line with General Beckman with whom I assured her that you guys wouldn't be crazy enough to steal a Cessna and fly off in a blizzard."

"But Chuck we're following Captain Perry and his men on an Antonov. They took off just before we did and they've got Dad. Chuck his cover is blown I had to do something. Leave no man behind. I thought you'd understand." Chuck dropped his head and banged it on the desk. He understood Alex quite well but he'd hoped she'd learned from his mistakes, not followed them.

"Let me Sweetie," said Sarah as she cut in. "Alex, Casey is safe back at Ladd so you can stand down and turn around. Everything is going to be fine."

"Negative this group has got the lead on us. If you guide me we can beat them to the satellite and retrieve the data module before they do this is my mission and we're going to see it through."

"No, no, no it's too dangerous," said Chuck, "forget it we'll send in a drone strike and just blow the thing up before they can get it."

"But you have to know where it's at and you can't guarantee that they won't be able to recover the data anyway. It survived re-entry." Alex had a point and Chuck could see they weren't going to be able to change Alex's mind.

Back in Burbank…

"Crap," said Chuck as he got up and walked around the conference room. He had to control himself before he said something he didn't want to.

"You know she's right," said Sarah as she sat down in front of the monitor. "Okay Alex but if we do this you need to check in more often. I want at least every half hour. Chuck where's the Antonov in relation to them." Chuck went over to another computer and pulled down an IR scan of their area to find them and the Antonov through the snow storm.

"Alex they're twelve miles off your ten o'clock heading southeast. Listen don't get too close or he'll see you on his radar. I'll have you do some course corrections so they won't know you're following them. Turn on your radio I'll broadcast to you straight through it and save your phone battery."

"So you'll be my Tower Control?" said Alex into her mic after she sync'd frequencies with Chuck.

"Roger that Cessna Alpha One Echo X-ray," said Chuck as Sarah smiled and kissed him.

"Roger Tower Control I like that."


	8. Chapter 8

Don't own Chuck

Chuck guided Alex through the snow storm and low cloud formations using spy satellite technology with IR scans and LiDar to penetrate the cloud cover. It wasn't easy but Chuck came up with ingenious 3-D rendering of the terrain with Alex's plane suspended over it. She was basically flying blind as Chuck gave her course corrections in real time to avoid disaster. Some hours later Sarah signalled Chuck to mute the mic. He gave her a thumbs up when it was done so they could talk.

"I just got off the phone with our guys you sent in from Adak. Casey's off the game card, he's got a fractured tibia from jumping out of the plane. He's being medevac'd in later on today to Bob Hope then will be transported back here to convalesce. I'm having the guys from Adak redeployed but-"

"But there's no one to watch out for Alex and Morgan that we trust. We've got to go. You or I or both of us can talk with Kathleen she's going to have to watch Sam."

"I'll talk with her," said Sarah. "Maybe she'll take all this better if it comes from me. But if I need help I'll call you in but for now let me handle it."

"Okay, then in the meantime I'll call and have our Learjet gassed up and put on standby. We can notify Beckman from the air and let her try to stop us."

"So much for being support I guess we're back on point but I have to say I liked it while it lasted," said Sarah as she sat in his lap and caressed his face then kissed him on the forehead.

"I did too but the truth is I'm happy anywhere I'm with you," said Chuck but as he was about to kiss her Alex called sounding nervous and scared.

"Tower Control oh crap, Chuck we've got a big problem. I'm icing up and am having trouble holding altitude. I'm going to have to set down soon. Is there anywhere I can put down without getting us both killed?"

Sarah press mute on the mic. "Remember if you freak, she'll freak so take her through this slow and easy. Above all be confident and reassure her you've got this."

"Right Alex," said Chuck turning the mute off, "the Antonov just sat down on the KahiltnaGlacier which is only a few miles from your location. Do you think you can make it there?"

"I should be able to but can was both put down on it? Their plane is big," said Alex. Trying to concentrate on her instrument panel in front of her and calm Morgan at the same time.

"The glacier is big enough for the two of you and when you come down there will be a large snow bank off to your three o'clock ram it. With the wind and snow they won't know you're there. Begin initiating descent on my mark… mark."

"But Chuck I won't be able to take off again," said Alex as the plane began to shake and the motor sputtered so she pushed in more on the throttle.

"Don't worry once we get you down we're coming for you."

"Alex that's a promise and I keep my promises," said Sarah. "You can do this Sweetie, I know you can just don't freak out."

Chuck brought them down through the storm descending down, down, down. She had to hit the snow bank because Chuck realized she wouldn't be able to stop the Cessna without ramming the back of the Antonov or going off into a precipice on the other side. Her only hope was the fresh snow to stop her but he couldn't tell her that.

When she dropped down to five hundred feet it was almost a complete white out and at the last minute she saw the glacier's surface then reduced flaps but impact with the fresh snow was still like running into a brick wall. As the plane slid down the glacier out of control it make a puff as the plane was completely buried deep in the snowbank. Alex immediately powered down everything to avoid any possibility of fires and Morgan grabbed the fire extinguisher just in case.

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There was no time to do anything other than go. They swung by the apartment and told Kathleen there had been an accident in a snow storm. John had been injured and was being medevac'd back to Burbank. Because he was down they had to go help Morgan and Alex. There just weren't any other options.

"Bye Sweet Pea, Daddy loves you" said Chuck as he hugged Sam. What else can you say to a twenty month old that she can understand?

"Mommy loves you too," said Sarah as Sam clung to her and didn't want to let go. Neither wanted to but finally she had to go.

"Let me come to the airport with you guys so we don't have to do this all teary eyed here. Besides we can wait around for John to get in and ride back with him," said Kathleen realizing they'd have to separate but this would give Sarah a little longer to say goodbye. It was not the same but she remembered seeing Alex Colburn off and he never came back.

"Okay, if you don't mind hanging around the airport all day waiting," but inside she was extremely grateful. "Thank you," said Sarah.

Sarah sat in the back next to Sam's car seat holding her hand the whole trip. Sam looked out the window and commented in baby at all the cars that passed by. She had Mr. Rabbit in one hand, Sarah's in the other and she wasn't going to let go of either. Normally the traffic was a bear but today it seemed like there was no one on the road so they made the airport in record time. Chuck had a ground crew there standing by that got their things stowed and soon they were ready to depart.

"I'll watch your baby you just keep mine safe," said Kathleen. It seemed like a fair trade but Chuck and Sarah knew from their last conversation with Morgan and Alex that they were hiding in a snow bank sitting on top of a glacier downwind from a group of Chechen guns for hire. The one good thing was Chuck got an exact GPS position on the plane he got off Morgan's phone. With quick reflexes Chuck turned it on remotely and ping it before the phone went dead he hoped from being buried under the snow.

"Sweetie can you take us up I need to … well I need to-" said Sarah trying to come up with words but they couldn't get past the lump she felt in her throat as she had to let go of Sam.

"I've got this if you want just go sit down in the cabin," said Chuck as he took out a handkerchief and wiped her face. Sarah's makeup was running all over the place from tears she was shedding without realizing it.

"I'm quite the mess aren't I?" Sarah said as she took his hand.

"You're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen," said Chuck as he kissed her then went into the cockpit grabbing the yoke he flashed. "Boy I don't think I'm every going to get used to this."

Chuck made contact with Tower Control then went through his pre-flights. Once he got clearance he rolled out on the tarmac and took up his position to take off. About an hour out of Los Angeles Sarah came forward and sat next to him. She had cleaned up and had taken off most of her makeup.

"Well I think it's about time we report in," said Sarah as she wiped her eyes with her hands. They were still red and puffy but she seemed to have regained composure at least for appearance sake.

"If you want to wait a bit there's no need to rush. We both know what she's going to say but if you insist you can initiate contact."

"What's she going to do? We're ten thousand feet over Oregon soon we'll be crossing Washington state and into Canadian airspace. If she doesn't refuel us we can still make it in on fumes."

"Not exactly the type of landing I'd like in a snow storm but if we have to, we have to. But I think the Canadians would be easier to deal with."

"I wouldn't count on that Agents Bartowski. You know it reflects poorly on me when I have two of my top operatives go rogue," said the General as she came on the monitor. "By the way FYI, we've got patriot missile batteries up in Washington State."

"General have you been briefed about Colonel Casey's condition," said Sarah ignoring her idle threats. "And are you aware that Agents Grimes and McHugh are on the trail of the enemy recovery team."

"Well it sounds like things are under control, so why are you two heading to Alaska? You have no authorization-"

"Authorization my-" Chuck started to say he was pissed off but Sarah cut him off shaking her head no before he could finish.

"General the last conversation we had with Morgan and Alex they were cash landing a Cessna 150 on a glacier in a snow storm. Chuck talked them down but they still piled into a snowbank and we haven't heard from them since. Your men on the ground won't send a team after them because of adverse weather conditions. That's the situation on the ground. Doesn't sound too under control to me?"

"So you're telling me this is a rescue and recovery mission?" said the General as she pondered for a bit. "Okay that changes things. Go ahead I'll give you authorization for the rescue but that's it. As soon as I've got a clear deck I'm going to launch a predator drone which is what I should've done from the beginning. The geniuses over at the NSA wanted the thing recovered to see why it malfunctioned."

"If I were to guess I'd say their system was hacked," said Chuck. Sarah gave him quick glance to tell him to be quiet. "That's just a guess on my part you know but it would be where I would start."

"I'll be sure to pass your hunch on to them Chuck. By the way you wouldn't know anything about an attempted computer incursion into NORAD would you? I've got a report here that indicates MSS is up to their old tricks or are they?"

"You don't say, darn those nasty rascals but why are you asking me? If I remember correctly you ordered me not to do anything and we all know how well I follow orders, don't we Diane?"

"Yes, we do, yes we do. I think then I can circle file this report. I don't guess if I ask you to check out your theory you could limit your search to finding the hack and the hacker?"

"What you don't want me to move any satellites around to see what's going on at Santa's Workshop?" Have you been a naughty little girl General?" The General went silent and cold.

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After the initial shock of finally coming to a stop Alex quickly followed the emergency protocols her father had taught her. She shut down the power and made sure everything was secure as secure could be. Morgan sitting across from her, he had grabbed a fire extinguisher with the safety popped standing by but it looked like it wasn't needed.

"Morgan, we've made it," yelled Alex as she reached over and hugged him crying. All the stress and fear she had bottled up came to surface. At least for the moment they were safe.

"Yes. We're still alive," said Morgan as he held her. "Okay Chuck and Sarah are coming all we have to do is just hold out."

"Right all we have to do is just hold on," said Alex but then they heard a metallic noise like a big coke can being squeezed. "What was that?"

"Alex I think it was the plane. The weight of the snow is compressing it," said Morgan and just then one of the door opened because it no longer fit in the frame.

"Morgan we need to get out of here," said Alex but Morgan was ahead of her searching for the emergency survival gear in it he found an entrenching tool and working around the broken door he was able to start a tunnel digging themselves out. After they got out looking back they hear the sound of the plane go crunch. But there was no time to get anything else out a sudden blast of frigid air and they had to find shelter. The parkas they had on where good but they needed more if they were going to be able to survive until Chuck arrived.

"Morgan the choices are we get shot or we freeze to death. My vote is to stowaway on the Antonov and wait to get rescued at least we'll be warm."

"You mean we're now democratic and I actually get a vote in what we do?"

"No but I'd like you to think you had one before we sneak on board and risk being shot," said Alex then she kissed him on the cheek. Normally that would feel nice but her lips were as cold as… well the environment around them.

"Come on and be quiet. It looks like they're off loading part of their crew with snow mobiles. We need to find a way to get word back to Chuck and Sarah." Morgan went to pull his phone out.

"Crap, I left my phone in the plane. What about yours any luck with a signal?" said Morgan as he blew on his hands to keep them warm.

"I've got a low battery so we need to make it count. Let's get on board and see if we can find out more about what's going on follow me," said Alex as she walked around trying to stay down wind so if they made noise the wind would carry it away. Alex held up her fist for Morgan to stop but he ran right into her. She turned around with an angry look.

"You look just like your father now," said Morgan, "and I mean in a scary way. He usually has that look when he's mad at me which come to think of it is often."

"Shush or they'll hear us. Okay when they go off on the snow mobiles we run up the back and find the first cover we can, then hide," said Alex as the men started up the vehicles strapping down sleighs with supplies on the backs.

"Okay Captain, we're a go," said one of the men into a radio. "Roger that. Okay guys mount up and let's get this job done."

"I feel kind of sorry for Jake he was a good story teller," said one of the men as they looked over at what seemed a snow dune. "But we're going to be even richer with their shares."

"Yeah just keep that in mind. The Captain wants us gone now so girls mount up and let's head out. Switch on transponders so we can keep the group together and listen up through your earpieces. Move out," yelled the man as the snow mobiles pulled out.

"Now Morgan move," said Alex as she got up and ran for the rear gate with Morgan running as fast as he could behind her. Once on board they were momentarily blinded by bright lights but found a pallet to hide behind.

"You heard the man outside Morgan they're on their way to retrieve the satellite. We have to warn Chuck and Sarah. Keep an eye out and let me try and call them." Just then they heard the roar of the jet and felt it move. They looked at each other both realizing the plane was taking off.

"Crap what do we do now," said Morgan. "Soon we'll be God knows where with these guys and then what do we do?"

"Nothing's changed, we still have to contact Chuck and Sarah and warn them about the guys that they left behind. Keep an eye out while I try to contact them."

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Chuck was left in a staring contest with the General who was obviously perplexed and weighing options quickly in her head. But Chuck wasn't blinking; there was something inside him telling him there was something foreboding about this seemingly innocent code name something he wouldn't like. Printed in bold block letters like Morgan described meant it was the code name for an installation.

"So General, have you been?" said Chuck as glanced over his instrument panel then over at Sarah who was curious too.

"What I can tell you is that Santa's Workshop is an ultra-secret laboratory, a sort of proving grounds, for things that we don't want anyone to know about and that's all I can say. Even the name is classified but you obviously know that so for everyone's sake and safety we never had this conversation."

"General are you threatening me? You know I don't react well to threats to me or my family and to my friends."

"Chuck I'm not threatening, I'm informing you. There are people who will go to great lengths and efforts to keep their operations a secret and especially their mistakes which your run in with Decker should've shown you."

"Sweetie please let it go. The General's right we don't need or want another Decker incident," said Sarah thinking about what all of that had cost. It just wasn't worth it.

"Thank you Sarah for being reasonable."

"General I'm not being reasonable, I'm protecting my family. If anything like Decker should come along again I will do any and everything to end it before it begins which means burning down Santa's Workshop even if I get put on the naughty list."

"Oh I like the sound of that," said Chuck as he smiled over at her and she smiled back at him. "Sometimes naughty is nice."

"Regardless," said the General as she rolled her eyes. "When you've got the time, find the hack and hacker and please if you're smart you'll leave it at that. I'll have a Black Hawk on the ground standing by for you when you get in along with a squad of operators."

"Good but we're not heading Ladd," said Chuck, "I want them ready to go at Elmendorf AFB if they're coming with us. We'll save time but they need to be on board, geared up and ready when we get in. I'm not waiting around and if they have any questions we'll brief them in flight. I figure we're about an hour out and I don't want to spend any more time on the deck then I have too. Got that or would you like me to send you a text."

"Chuck, don't get cocky."

"Oh General I'm not cocky I'm pissed. Carmichael out.

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Back at Bob Hope International Airport a white Learjet jet rolled up to a hangar with a red cross on the tail. The door opened and Casey hobbled off. They offered to have him taken off but he absolutely refused. He hobbled down the ladder one rung at a time, he was concentrating so much on the ladder that he didn't notice who was waiting for him at the bottom.

"Jesus Kat where did you come from and what are you doing here?" said Casey when he finally got down looking up to see Kathleen and Sam waiting for him.

"Waiting for you who else? Now sit down in your wheel chair so this man can take you to the car. Then we're off to Echo Park and home. I've set us up in Sarah and Chuck's place while they're gone but don't think you're going to get out of babysitting duties."

"Us you say," said Casey as he looked at her and she smiled back. "Chuck and Sarah went after Alex and Morgan that's why I couldn't get them to pick up. "How long have they been gone?"

"They left about mid-morning on the Lear but they assured me that everything was okay. Everything is okay isn't it? Don't answer that it's probably better I don't know. They were also vague on how you broke your leg."

"It's actually just a fracture. I feel kind of stupid but it was the darnest thing I stepped on a patch of ice and my feet went out from under me. You'd think after everything I've been through I would've known how to fall but I guess it just goes to show you never know."

"Well buster, don't look to me for sympathy here," said Kat as she plopped Sam down in his arms and moved the agent away that was wheeling Casey so she could push him to the SUV.

"You know I knew a Sergeant Major like her when I was going through office candidate training," said Casey, "a real-"

"John, remember you're talking to a baby," said Kat stopping him before he said something that Sam would most certainly repeat. Sam was still having a hard time figuring out how this adult stroller worked then something clicked.

"Key see boo-boo" said Sam as she offered him her sippy cup.

"Yes Casey boo-boo and thanks for the offer but I need something stronger than what you've got in that cup," said Casey as Kat and the agents laughed around him. "What? I think the whole bunch of you are crazy."

"Come on we need to get home."

"Key see boo-boo?"


	9. Chapter 9

Don't own Chuck

Chuck left Sarah at the controls while he went back to get together a few toys they'd need for this mission. After he got together his gear he got on the computer and was back in SatComm control under the NSA then he released a sniffing virus which he let run free. Like a blood hound it would back track any incursions to the source IP address through any proxy servers around the globe and at least in theory back to the hacker who broke in or at least to the computer he used. And if the hacker were really stupid back to his bedroom.

"Well I should be able to tell Beckman who and how the satellite was brought down without compromising national security."

"Believe me it's for the best and thank you for understanding," said Sarah, "I'm in touch with Tower Control at Elmendorf, they've given us our runway clearance." Just then Chuck's phone rang.

"Christ, it's Alex," said Chuck as he answered and put her on speaker. "Alex, how are you guys holding up? We're almost there just hang in we're coming."

"No, just listen I don't have much charge left on my phone. The Antonov deploy eight men on four snow mobiles along with gear. They headed off northeast from the plane before it took off. Listen we're…." But that was it then the line went dead.

"I can't believe it, they're still following them. Do they want to get themselves killed? How am I supposed to explain this to John let alone Kathleen? Sarah what am I going to do? Morgan's my friend."

"Sweetie don't freak out, you're spiralling go in the back pour yourself a drink or clean the bar, cleaning always helps you. We'll be down soon and then we can be off to rescue them."

"Then afterwards I'm going to have a nice long sit-down with the two of them about going off on rogue missions," said Chuck as Sarah smiled at him. "Okay it's the pot calling the kettle black I know."

"I wasn't going to say anything you already said it yourself. I know you're worried about them. I am too but getting upset won't help anything except agitate you even more. Now is the time for clear thinking like what have you got in the bag?"

"Just a few grenades, a laser drill, tripod and a portable GPR along with a thermos of hot coffee, I figure we all could use a cup to stay warm out there."

"Are you planning on doing some drilling while we're out on the ice? Have you decided to turn to prospecting as a backup profession?"

"You'll see," said Chuck as kissed her before sitting down in the co-pilot's seat. "Thanks I feel much better just talking with you. But you knew that."

"Thanks for what? I am your wife after all I have a ring and a piece of paper to prove it. I love you," said Sarah but before he could answer Tower Control interrupted them with last minute details and a small course correction. Soon they were ready to make their approach."

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Alex was about to tell Chuck and Sarah they weren't on the ground but on board the Antonov when a man came up from behind her and grabbed her phone. She went for her weapon but found a pistol pointed in her face and another man standing behind Morgan with a weapon drawn.

"Morgan you were supposed to keep a watch out," said Alex trying to remember if she had been able to tell Chuck where they were but she was afraid she hadn't.

"Hey it's the little guy from this morning. The one that decked that guy with one punch and this is that girl he was with," said one of the men guarding them.

"Well it wasn't anything really just a lucky blow. The guy had a glass jaw nothing to write home about just a lucky punch."

"Yeah it's one of the Mario brothers and the princess. Hey shorty what say you and I go a round," said one of the men. "I'd like you to try and throw that punch at me."

"I'd like to but I don't want to show off in front of people and I'd hate to embarrass you in front of your friends."

"No go ahead and embarrass away," said the man. "I insist or are you chicken. What's the matter afraid the Princess will see you can't save her."

"Morgan, don't listen to them. Leave him alone," said Alex, "Or I'll kick your butt right here, right now."

"Mr. Mario you're supposed to save the Princess not the other way around," said the guy who'd been egging him on. Morgan was about tired but didn't know what to do then he saw on one of the crates a spanner wrench so he maneuverer so it was right behind him.

"So let me get this right, we'll exchange punches but you'll let me throw the first punch. Is that right?"

"Yeah right here," said the man as he pointed to his cheek getting up closed Morgan, close enough that Morgan could smell the cheap whiskey on his breath. "Go ahead and throw your best punch runt. Give me everything you've got."

"You asked for it," said Morgan as he grabbed the spanner and before his friends could warn him there was a loud audible crack as the man went down with a broken jaw out cold on the deck.

"He asked for everything I had and that was it," said Morgan as he threw the spanner on the deck. They could see that the rest of the man's friends weren't happy with them but Alex was proud of her Morgan. Then they heard clapping from behind them and a man came walking through as the others parted.

"Very good," said the man applauding. Well I guess you taught him about shooting off his big mouth and underestimating the little guy."

"Captain Perry I assume," said Alex. She knew it had to be him he'd be the only man this group would let applaud after Morgan decked one of their own.

"Yes ma'am and I guess I also know why Frank isn't returning my calls," said the Captain looking at his man on the deck. "I'll be honest my first instinct was to throw you both off the plane and at twenty thousand feet well that wouldn't be so nice."

"But you've had a change of heart I hope," said Morgan looking at all the angry faces around them and realizing they were on their own in this crowd."

"I talked with our client and he wants you both the stay unharmed at least for now that is as long as you behave. Cuff them then bring them up to the cockpit. I want a guard posted on them at all times and keep a special watch on the little guy, the man's full of surprises. Our boss wants a word with you."

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Their Learjet touched down at Elmendorf AFB and they taxied over to a private hanger where a Black Hawk was waiting outside. Chuck and Sarah didn't waste any time they had their gear together carrying it down the ladder then straight over to the Black Hawk. Once on board they were greeted by eight men dressed in winter combat gear with ski masks all except one had their faces covered and he wore dark Wayfarer Ray Bans.

"Agent Carmichael, Agent Bartowski?" said the man as he put out his hand, "just call me Captain Jones."

"Call me Chuck and this is Sarah, excuse me Captain why isn't the rotator turning? We should be taking off?"

"Our pilot bailed because of inclement weather between here and the op site. He said it was too dangerous to fly through or to land but we don't bail so easily."

"I've got friends who are counting on me and there are hostiles who are going to try to stop us. If you anyone wants to go I won't stop them but I won't quite."

"Well, we've got our picnic lunch packed and we're not going to let a little bad weather or piss ants stop us from having some fun."

Chuck grabbed the two pilot helmets and handed one to Sarah who brushed back her hair so it would sit properly.

"Control Tower this is Black Hawk one request immediate clearance to take off," said Chuck as Sarah went through the pre-flights and began the rotors. While she was doing that Chuck gave the tower his authorization clearance.

"I guess it's a little late to ask you guys if you know how to fly this thing." Chuck grabbed the collective and cyclic then flashed

"I do now," said Chuck as he lifted off and headed towards the Kahiltna Glacier. It wasn't long before the clouds began rolling in and things started turning white.

"Sweetie, we're starting to build up ice I'm activating the deicer. Visibility is dropping rapidly soon we'll be flying by instruments."

"Captain, reach in my bag and hand me that thing that looks a computer tablet please," said Chuck and the Captain handed him what he asked for. Chuck set it up between them then tapped a few icons and a hologram appeared in front of them with a view through the clouds.

"Wow what's that? I've never seen anything like that before where did you get that? Or is this one of those James Bond gadget you guys always come up with? It's not standard issue but I sure would like to get one."

"It's actually nothing special. What you see is a hologram rendering of the terrain as seen with all the cloud cover removed. The principle functions like this, the ground temperature is different from the air temperature so the differences are registered by a combination of satellite scans which are feed into a mainframe in California where it is processed into a 3-D image which is then transmitted to us on my tablet and projected as the hologram."

"You may not think it's anything special but I can already see quite a few applications for something like this."

"Well don't count your chickens before we land," said Sarah, "this is still experimental and there's always the possibility that the computer will malfunction or we lose the comm uplink but that's something I prefer not to dwell on."

"I see how you guys operate," said the Captain. "Chuck's the glass half full and you're the glass half empty."

"Someone has to build parachutes," said Sarah. They all laughed and laughter was what they needed to take the edge off the mission.

"So what can you tell me about this mission that I can tell my men? I know this was supposed to be a rescue mission but I saw the grenades in your bag and my nose tells me that this might be more. Don't try to feed me any crap this isn't my first date."

"I wouldn't anyway this is what we can tell you. There's a piece of highly sensitive government property some bad guys want that is lost around the Kahiltna glacier. I have an idea I know where it is or better how to find it but that is neither here nor there well that's not true because it will make recovering it easier-"

"Chuck, Chuck, Sweetie the Captain would like you to stick to the point," said Sarah, "Sorry he sometimes gets this way when he's excited," she said as she gave him a look.

"Sorry, but from the intel we have there are at least eight hostiles on four snow mobiles pulling gear ahead of us. Our Agents were following them but their phone died. They indicated the phone battery was low but we can't exclude the possibility that they were taken."

"So we've got at eight players in the field but we don't know what fire power they have. Is there anything else I need to know?"

"Well we're supposed to radio in coordinates for a predator strike once we've got a lock on the package. But my feeling is if we don't make contact soon the people we work for back at Langley won't hesitate to shave off a little ice figuring we'll have enough sense to get out of the way."

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Alex and Morgan were escorted through the hanger bay up into the cockpit area of the Antonov. Perry pointed to two seats behind the co-pilot and they were forced to sit down. Ivan turned and looked them over as they sat down then looked at the Captain but he stared him down daring him with his eyes to say something.

"But you're not Chuck and Sarah," said a metallic voice from a speaker above them. They looked at each other.

"No we're not but when he gets here he'll kick your butt," said Morgan as he tried to get up but the man standing next to them pushed him back down.

"Good so they're on their way for you so you're important to them. See Captain I told you they were valuable to me. You may not know it but you just saved your lives."

"Shush Morgan not another word, we can't give them anything they can use," said Alex as she tried to figure out where they were by looking over Ivan's shoulder at his instrument panel. The labels were in Cyrillic but the numerals were Arabic. "Morgan we're heading northwest towards the Arctic Circle. What's up there besides ice?"

"That's right you're heading towards the North Pole but not quite there. Actually you're going a little further than Point Lay where Santa keeps his workshop," said the same voice.

"Up there," said Morgan as he pointed out a 360 camera in the overhead. "We sell them in the Buy More. They are setup to connect through a wireless network or that's what Chuck told me."

"Morgan, this doesn't make sense," whispered Alex. "Why are we headed north? The recovery team is still back looking for the satellite and we're heading away from them. What does this mean?"

"It means we weren't interested in recovering the satellite," said Perry as he sat down behind them switching radio frequencies on a panel. "Alpha team, how do you read, over?"

"Alpha team, read you loud and clear. We're making headway here, found tunnel will begin data relay soon set system to standby transmission will start here in automatic."

"Roger that setting system in standby. Transmit keys set for automatic."

"Keys? What keys?" said Morgan as he looked over at Alex. Then it dawned on her what keys they were talking about.

"The keys to Santa's Workshop," said Alex as Perry smiled at her and nodded.

"Captain I've got fire control radars illuminating us and there's an automatic recording telling us we've entered restricted air space. What do you want us to do?"

"Keep on flying Ivan. It's time to see if you really deserve being called the crazy Ivan."

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The Black Hawk sat down close to the GPS coordinates Chuck got from Morgan's phone before it died. The team deployed fanning out across the ice and quickly found the Cessna that had collapsed in on itself crushed by the weight of the snow but Chuck and Sarah already knew neither Morgan nor Alex were inside.

"Captain, Agents you might want to look at this," said one of the men. "We found this snow cat buried under snow and ice. It looks like they froze to death inside." Chuck and the Captain looked inside while Sarah walked around the outside.

"The poor bastards froze to death. It just seems to me like a bad way to go, not that there's a good way."

"Maybe old age but they didn't freeze to death. They were dead long before if you notice their red faces that isn't blushing. They probably died from carbon monoxide poisoning from that space heater. The snow got high covering their vent and the guy who was on watch that was supposed to keep an eye out got overcome while the rest were asleep and that was that."

"Okay but now where do we go Chuck," asked Sarah. "The guys and I've looked around but the fresh snow has covered all the tracks."

Chuck pulled out of his bag a collapsible tripod and opened it up then suspended a laser drill and began boring a hole in the ice as he drilled he explained.

"If you haven't figured Captain we're looking for a missing spy satellite. You see when it came down it was hot, really hot, either from the re-entry or it's thrusters but when it hit the ice it vaporized a hole burying itself deep. Okay we're deep enough."

"Deep enough for what?"

"Just watch Captain, you guys might want to move over behind the snow cat" said Chuck as he attached sensors for the Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) leads to the ice. "Fire in the hole," yelled Chuck as he pulled the pin on a grenade then dropped it in the hole then ran behind the snow cat too. There was a loud explosion but the ice absorbed most of the blast. Chuck recovered his equipment in a hurry as the computer processed the data then an image came on his tablet.

"Come on guys follow me," said Chuck as he headed off at a quick pace. "It's not that far off."

"I get it, good job Sweetie" said Sarah as she took the tablet looking over the data image the computer had compiled. "Captain, Chuck used the grenade to send a shock wave through the ice and with the aid of the GPR he was able to take a snapshot of what's under it.

"Like our satellite, how far is it from here?"

"Not far, only a couple of klicks, but we need to double time it. However, we also need to be careful. Our bogies are still out there and I don't think they'll be happy to see us.

They trudged through the snow making the best time they could with the Captain sending two of his men out ahead to scout. One of his men held up his fist then pointed down over a ridge. The team caught up to the scouts to take a look down.

"Down there Captain," said one. "They've got two men guarding a tunnel of some type that goes down in the snow."

"There that's where the satellite hit. You see as it melted it's way under the glacier to took the path of least resistance so it didn't just go straight down but twisted and angled leaving a tunnel behind."

"So what you're saying is we've got to go in the hole after the rabbit?" said the Captain but he was met with a strange look by Chuck and Sarah. "What? Is something wrong?"

"No," said Sarah, "Chuck, I don't see Alex or Morgan anywhere but they could have them in the tunnel. We need to hurry up and get down there. Captain, deploy your men we need this done quickly and silently."

"Thanks why do you think we came along," said the Captain picking up his radio. "On my mark we need both bogies but down. Red, bogey on the right, Gold, bogey on the left. Mark."

The two guards standing at the mouth of the tunnel dropped in the snow. Chuck's team made their way down off the ridge down to the mouth of the tunnel.

"Quick we need to get down there after them before they can get at the satellite," said the Captain as he herded everyone down.

"Something's not right here" said Chuck as he went down inside.

"Sweetie we can worry about that later now we just need to keep up," said Sarah worried that the Captain's men might accidently shoot Morgan and Alex if they got caught in the cross fire.

The tunnel was man size, testifying to just how hot the bird was when it came down. Chuck had noticed an antenna mounted on the outside of the tunnel and now there was high speed optical cable running along on the inside. But as Chuck was trying to piece together what was going on when the Captain held up his fist signalling them to stop and be quiet. From the back of the tunnel they heard men talking.

"Captain Perry the data link is up and the upload is complete. We're done here packing up awaiting…" the man never got out 'extraction'. Chuck flashed and realized what was going on. He charged out from behind cover darting as he ran. Sarah bolted when she saw Chuck run firing her Smith and Wesson. It became a firefight.

"Crap, what the hell are you guys doing," yelled Jones. "After him hurry up." The sound of gunfire was deafening even if it was short lived.

"Chuck what the heck? Are you trying to do get yourself killed," yelled Sarah but Chuck acted like he hadn't heard her. He was too busy looking over the satellite and the leads coming off it shaking his head. "Chuck, Morgan and Alex aren't here."

"No they never were," said Chuck as he reached into the satellite and yanked out the memory module. "We're too late."


	10. Chapter 10

Don't own Chuck

While Chuck and Sarah's were gone Casey slept on their couch while Kathleen took their bed so Sam could sleep in her own and have her own things around her. They decided normality was what she needed so she wouldn't miss her parents. It was five in the morning when Casey felt the presence of someone in the living room so instinctively he went for his Sig he kept under his pillow. But as he was about to draw on the unsuspecting intruder he heard the sound of a rattler and knew who it was.

"Crap you're as bad as your father at trying to get yourself killed," said Casey as he looked down at his feet to see Sam looking back at him with her big blue eyes. She had Mr. Rabbit in one hand and a sippy cup in the other.

"Key see boo-boo," she said as she held out her cup with a look of concern.

"Thanks but I think we can do better," said Casey as he got up slowly hobbled over to the kitchen where he reached up into a cabinet and got her box of cereal then grabbed a juice box. Sam followed along behind him watching everything he did.

"Come on kid," said Casey as he went back to the couch flopped down and propped his leg up on the coffee table. "Here, sit here next to me." Somehow Sam understood and climbed up on the sofa throwing Mr. Rabbit up first then getting herself up curling up next to him. Casey opened up the cereal box placed it next to her where she could help herself then put the straw in the juice box and handed it to her. He looked down at her as she looked up as him took a couple of sips of juice and ate a few handfuls of cereal then cuddled close and fell asleep.

"Jesus kid couldn't you do this in your own bed," grunted Casey but deep down he liked it. This would've been what life would've been like for him if Alex Colburn had come home instead of becoming John Casey. He really never reflected on what he had given up and what he missed out on. He never had to but now it came crashing home.

"Thanks kid," said John as he took her juice box from her hands before she spilt it on herself and finished it off. Just maybe he could get some of what he missed out on through her.

"Hey you're up," said Kathleen as she walked into the living room. "There she is? How did she get in here? I know I set the alarm."

"Chuck told me he thought there was something wrong with the sensor. I'll look at it later on but she's a spy kid so what'd you guys expect."

"I'll put a pot of coffee on then I'll take her back to bed so you can lie down. I'm sorry if you're sleeping on the sofa but I told you, you could take the bed."

"No, I'm fine where I'm and you can leave her. She just fell back to sleep and it wouldn't be right to move her yet but I could use a cup of your coffee. Sarah and Chuck accuse me of making motor oil and maybe they're right but yours is always good."

"I forgot what a flatter you can be Mr. Casey," said Kathleen as she went about making coffee then bringing him over a cup.

"Eat your heart out Roan," said John as he took a sip thinking how he failed Roan's class twice at the farm.

"Who's Roan? Is he in Alaska with the rest of the team? When do you think we can call them to see how things are going?"

"We really need to wait for them to call us. We don't know what they're involved in so we risk blowing an operation if we call while something's going down."

"Going down! But I thought this was supposed to be an easy mission just a pickup, easy in and easy out. John I'm beginning to worry.

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Unidentified aircraft this is an automated recording you are violating restricted air space turn around or you will be destroyed. Not a very friendly recording meant to scare away stray unauthorized vehicles from venturing to close to Santa's Workshop but the Antonov had no intention of turning around. The closer they got the more frequent the transmission. Patriot missile batteries activated and fire control radars illuminated them as an intruder.

"Captain Perry I don't want to point out the obvious but that message sounds like Santa's checked his list and you ended up on the naughty side," said Morgan as he looked over at Alex.

"Alpha team we could use that key code any time now," radioed Perry and just then the data link came active and a group of lights lite up one at a time.

"Captain Perry, the data link is up… and the upload is complete. We're done here packing up awaiting…."

"Alpha team repeat your last over. Alpha team repeat your last." But there was only static then another voice came over the speaker one that Morgan and Alex immediately recognized.

"Captain Perry you can forget about that extraction request. Your team is down and just how many men do you have anyway? I counted ten in snow cat, and then there was Frank now you're down another eight. The pot has to be getting dry."

"Chuck I presume, my client was hoping you and your partner would be here with me instead of the two I've got with me."

"You hurt them and I'll end you. There won't be a rock you can hide under or a hole deep enough to get away from me. If you or your boss know me you know what I'm capable of."

"Chuck, Chuck I've got a deal for you. If you want your people all you have to do is come and get them. After we make our pick up I'll drop them off just I wouldn't wait around too long. They'll have a short shelf life."

"Where can I pick them up at? Just name the place and I'll be there. If it's me you want in exchange I'm yours just let them walk."

"Oh they'll walk all right," said a metallic voice that came on over the comm link. "But you and that partner of yours have to suffer too. I want you both the squirm. I want to break you. I want you to know what it's like to lose everything then you'll beg me to end you and I might, but not until then."

Chuck heard the sound of an automatic cannon blast in the background then the link broke off followed by static.

"Wow that guy isn't playing with a full deck. What did you people do to him? Do you have any idea who he is?"

"No but I've got an idea where he is or at least where he used to be. We need to get back in air everyone out now," said Chuck. He put the memory module in his back pack taking out two grenades then handed the bag to Sarah. "Fire in the hole," he yelled as he pulled the pins on both grenades shoving them into the satellite then they both ran. There was an explosion behind them destroying the satellite causing the tunnel to collapse in after them.

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The Antonov flew in a low circle over Santa's Workshop opening fire with its twin twenty-three mm Nudelman-Rikhter NR-23 cannons before landing on the runway next to the secret facility. Men ran out the back taking out guards who tried to hold off the assault. With the automated defence system off-line it was up to a handful of paramilitary guards to defend the facility but they were out gunned and out matched.

"Captain the facility's ours," radioed one of his men. "We're in the process of locating the client and escorting him back on board."

"Your boss is here? He works for us," said Alex as she looked bewildered over at Morgan. "What kind of traitor is he?"

"The rich kind, now get up and come with me. You can ask him yourself he wants to talk to you two," said Captain Perry as he and one of his men escorted them out of the cockpit. Alex glanced once more at Ivan who shrugged his shoulders. They made their way out and down towards the aft section, the same way they had board. On their way off a group of Perry's men met them, one had his head wrapped in a bandage, in the middle of the group was a thin gangly man who seemed very nervous and hyper.

"So you must be Chuck's friends well I was too before he sent me away. Here take this," said the man as he handed them some sort of video playback device. "This is for Chuck and his partner Sarah. Tell them that I've had a long time of looking at nothing but white so much that all I see now is black which is what I'm going to paint their world."

"Mister you've got no idea what kind of bear you're poking," said Morgan but the man gave a nervous laugh.

"Well considering all I seen are Polar bears for the past four years. Tell me how do you like the digs," said the man as he motioned them to be pushed off.

"Alex and Morgan watched the Antonov turn on the flight line then slowly taxi to the runway where it took off leaving them.

"Burr it's cold," said Alex as she began to shiver, "let's get inside where it's warm before we freeze to death. Do you have any idea who that was or why he's got it out for Chuck and Sarah?"

"No but the guy is missing a few cards from the deck and his banana has definitely split but if what he said is true about being stuck up here I can see how that would happen. I always imagined when Casey talked about being dropped into a dark hole there was actually a dark hole not a snow bank," said Morgan as he tried the door into the super-secret facility but the door wouldn't budge.

"Morgan what's the matter? Stop fooling around open the door it's freezing out here" said Alex as she was beginning to lose feeling in her hands and her ears were burning.

"I can't it won't open. I think we're locked out. Crap that's why he told Chuck he needed to hurry and pick us up." Suddenly the missile batteries that were pointing at the ground suddenly powered up and swung around as they came back on line. "It's a trap and we're the bait all be it frozen bait we're still the bait for Chuck."

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The team was in the air and off as soon as they could but instead of heading back south the Elmendorf _AFB the headed northeast to Ladd. Sarah piloted as Chuck got comms up with Langley he needed some answers and quickly. Captain Jones sat behind them trying to get his head around everything that was going on when Chuck's tablet pinged. His blood hound program had tracked down the NSA satellite hacker back to his hole._

_"__Crap," said Chuck. He was looking at the results when General Beckman came on the monitor. Sarah looked over at him and could tell he was about to give her a blast._

_"__Sweetie take a deep breath before you speak, we've still got Alex and Morgan out there who need us and we need Beckman's help."_

_"__General, you'll be happy to know we recovered the memory module from your lost satellite and the satellite I personally destroyed and buried under a glacier."_

_"__Good mission accomplished. I'll expect a full report when you get back. What's your ETA?"_

_"__No not good General, Morgan and Alex are being held captive. I got the trace back on your satellite hack and guess what it came from the North Pole. It bounced off a relay in Papua New Guinea but the source code came from there. I believe that if you check you'll find that Santa's Workshop has been compromised. Further I believe Morgan and Alex are being held there. We are currently in route to Ladd. I want two F-14Es standing by fully loaded with extra fuel tanks and two flight suits in each plane."_

_"__I'll have to verify our facility's been compromised," said the General, "before I can authorize your mission. You understand that?"_

_"__Do whatever you have to do but I need those aircraft. The people that were ahead of us didn't want your precious memory module they already knew about your facility. What they wanted was something else. Your facility is equipped to defend itself I bet. What with? Patriot missile batteries and _Anti-satellite weapons ASATs? What happens if one of our own accidently crossed over into its restricted airspace?"

"Oh crap," said the General as she figured out what Chuck was implying and this required immediate verification. "I'll get back to you ASAP. Beckman out."

"What was that all about," said Sarah as she was concentrating on not getting them killed just coming out the snow storm and in range of Ladd Tower Control.

_"__Yeah I've got to hear this," said Captain Jones as he got up and moved up close to hear better over the sound of the rotors._

_"__They never wanted that piece," said Chuck as he pointed over at his back pack. "They wanted the encrypted key that each of these spy satellites have embedded in them. Think of it like the IFF that aircraft have that identify them as a friend or foe to reduce fratricide. The base has an automated defense system so when a vehicle passes over head that it recognizes as authorized it stands down. This allows for a minimal defense force needed to guard the facility and less people means it's easier to keep it secret."_

_"__That's ingenious but I'm not sure I like a machine shooting at me I've seen those Terminator movies and something there isn't right, '_Hasta la vista, baby'_." Chuck and Sarah gave the Captain a look. "What you can't be on mission all the time? You need some way to relax."_

_"__Okay, our mysterious bad guy needed to power down the weapons system to get his team inside to get something out, something that will hurt us," said Chuck as he looked over at Sarah._

_"__You don't think," said Sarah as she glanced over at the Captain then to Chuck._

_"__I think it makes sense if you look at the layout," said Chuck. The Captain realized they were talking in code and that this was probably above his pay grade._

_"__You realize if what you're saying is true then this is probably a trap and your friends are the bait."_

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_Casey was sitting on the sofa with Sam sitting in front of him staring at him. Every time he moved she followed what he did with attention. Kathleen had finished doing the dishes and was baking a batch of cookies when she noticed what was going on. At first she thought the whole thing was quite funny watching the two of them but then she felt sad. She didn't know why, there really was not reason she just had this sudden wave of uncontrollable sentiment. _

_"__Can I get you more coffee," said Kathleen trying to snap out of it. "Cookies will be up in a bit so you might want to hold off on the coffee and wait to eat a cookie with it."_

_"__Sounds like a plan," said Casey as he looked back at her. He noticed something off but could tell what. He turned back to the Sam. "What do you say squirt? You want a cookie?"_

_"__Key see," said Sam as she pointed at him and giggled almost falling over then laughed at herself and giggled even louder._

_"__She's a happy baby," said Kathleen as she came over standing behind him. "You know Alex was like that when she was little, so full of life. Sam reminds me a lot of Alex at her age except Alex had red hair and a temper to go with it. You catch her on the wrong day and you'd wish you hadn't."_

_"__Sounds like you had your hands full," said John as he reached back to take her hand. There it was now he understood what was going on inside her head. "I'm sorry if I wasn't there but I didn't know."_

_"__Sorry for what you got what you wanted and well we would've just held you back. Maybe this was just the way things were meant to be."_

"Alex is amazing. You should be proud. You've done a great job, Kat." 

"Look at you. You're a soldier, you're a hero. You have everything that you've ever wanted."

"Sometimes you have to be careful wanting because you just might get what you want," said John as she squeezed her hand.

"Well I need to check on those cookies," said Kathleen as she pulled away. "I wouldn't want to burn them." Just then there was a knock at the door and John got up.

"I'll get it," he said as he hobbled to the door opening it he found a box on the stoop but no one in sight. His spy alarm went off and he went back to the sofa got his gun then went back to the door.

"John what is it? You're scaring me," said Kathleen from the kitchen as she saw him go into combat mode.

"Just stay in the house next to the phone," he said as he went outside to clear the courtyard. When he was sure there was no one he came back but the box wasn't on the stoop anymore.

"John can you tell me what's going on," asked Kathleen as he walked back inside slipping his Sig in his belt behind him.

"Later Kat, where's the box that was on the door stoop?" but he saw it as soon as he asked and his blood ran cold. Sam had gone and had gotten it. Since it was light she had no problem carrying it into the middle of the living room where she opened it.

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General Beckman picked up her phone and called her Aid to meet her in the situation room then she ran out of her office yelling back to Connie her secretary that she'd be out. She ran to the elevator bumping into a couple of officers that started to protest until they saw who it was.

"Crap, crap, crap," she kept repeating to herself as he got into the elevator to ride it down to the belly of the beast a room that was highly classified and secretly built in full cold war siege mentality deep enough to survive a nuclear attack and now against modern day surveillance devices.

"General what's going on," asked her Aid waiting outside the doors. She took him immediately in side where they heard someone yell 'General on deck'.

"Carry on. I hope nothing but just in case I need two F-14Es fully outfitted with extra flight suits for agents Bartowski at Ladd. Where's the watch officer?" asked the General turning her attention to the men and women in the room.

"Here General Beckman," said a man sitting behind a desk putting his feet down. "Can I help you with something?"

"When was the last time you had a comms check with Santa or one of his elves?" asked the General but the man started hemming and hawing around. "Come on man it can't be that long ago."

"General they're actually an hour behind schedule," said one of the junior officers who happened to be standing on the floor.

"Jesus, what's your name? Yes you," said the General asking the young woman who spoke up. "Speak woman you seem to be the only person who knows what's going on here."

"Melissa York, ma'am I've only been here a few weeks from the farm."

"Well Agent York you've got your first mission I need a situation report from Santa's Workshop and I need it now. Everyone here drop whatever you're doing and provide Agent York with support."

"Ruth, can you move a satellite for me over the top and Mark can you bring up a comms link," said Melissa as the General took up a seat watching people running around the room and the big screens overhead coming on.

"General they're not answering our calls and I've almost got a satellite overhead," she said as images started coming up on screen then just as the facility was about to come in sight the image dropped and static appeared on the screen.

"Talk to me Ruth what just happened why don't we have an image? Come on talk to me."

"The satellite's gone. I'm not getting anything from it anymore it went dead." General Beckman jumped from her seat looking at the static.

"Hold up, rewind the video we got before it went dead," said the General. "Ruth is it? Clean it up as best as you can then run it." The agent did her best then played the video. It showed a path of white as it got close to part of the facility then nothing.

"Back it up a bit there freeze that image," yelled the General. "Look the silo doors are open they shot down the satellite and look at the corner of the building it's blackened. They've taken our lab. Watch officer I want a list of all the people who were working there on my desk in ten. Agent York with me you're on my staff now."

The General took the woman with her down the hall and they rode the elevator back up to her office where her Aid was waiting for her.

"General the F-14Es will be there waiting," said the Major as he glance over at the obviously green agent standing behind the General.

"Good, see that Agent York gets everything she needs to work with us. The first thing you need to do Agent is to get the schematics for Santa's Workshop along with defensive batteries and up load them to Agents Charles and Sarah Bartowski. Major we need to take our facility back and God help us all."


	11. Chapter 11

Don't own Chuck

The Black Hawk touched down at Ladd and the base commander a full bird Colonel was on hand to meet and brief them. As they were suiting up he gave them a rundown on the terrain and the defence systems they'd be up against. Two flight crews perp'd the warbirds making sure all their systems were up and functional. There was no place to pull over to the side of the road on their way to change a flat so everything had to work. After everything was done they needed only one final detail before they left and that was an overview of the mission site and that came in the form of a jpeg file sent to them from Langley.

"You have one new message," said Chuck's tablet as they were headed out to their planes. "Hold up this could be important. It's from the Beckman's office."

"I had two extra drop tanks with 20,000 pounds of fuel each loaded that's two tanks with 267 gallons in each external tanks plus you've got 16,200 pounds in your internal tank that should get you there and back. And oh by the way try not to scuff up the paint."

"Jesus Christ," said Chuck ignoring the Commander's humor, "look at this, just look at. That's the reason we didn't get this mission off the bat. They didn't want us to know what they were doing up here."

"Chuck what are you talking about we don't have time for this," said Sarah as she took the tablet from him and looked at the picture. "Oh my God that's a-"

"Yes it is," said Chuck walking around trying to shake it off.

"Well this confirms what you thought," said Sarah seeing that the Base Commander was giving them strange looks. "Sorry but there's a lot in play right now and a large piece of the puzzle just fell in our laps."

"No, Sarah you're right we've got to put this out of our heads. We can deal with this afterwards right now we've Morgan and Alex to think about and-"

"No please not this time," said Sarah. She knew what he was about to say and he was risking to become repetitive.

"What 'To infinity... and beyond!'" said Chuck.

"Oh just kiss me and watch your back we're going up against the best, our own," said Sarah as she kissed him then went over and boarded her plane. He boarded his then they rolled out onto the flight line then off.

"Setting coordinates, retracting wings, punching afterburners."

"There's one thing we need to get straight. You realize I'm squadron leader and you're supposed to be my wingman Sweetie which means you follow my lead."

"Don't I always Love," radioed Chuck as he looked over his instrument panel and made some minor course corrections.

"You don't want me to answer that but we need to get up there fast even if they have cold weather gear they can't hold out forever."

"Hold on little buddy we're on our way," radioed Chuck more for himself because he knew Morgan couldn't hear him. "Sarah do you think we're too late?"

"Chuck there are just some thoughts you should put out of your head and that's one of them. We here to rescue them until this becomes a recovery mission and that's that."

"Roger squadron leader."

"Captain Jones," said the Colonel as he walked over to the Delta Force leader. "I was ordered to give you this after the CIA team departed." He handed him a sealed envelope

"Crap I've got an idea what this is," said the Captain as he opened it up and read the contents. "Yeah, just as I thought, boys we're not going home so soon looks like we've got another mission. Colonel, when will our ride get here?"

"It's landing now," said the Base Commander as he pointed to a C-130 that was landing on the other side of the field.

"Okay girls get your gear and let's get ready our friends have a head start on us. The plan is for them to punch us a hole. We're to retake and hold the facility until we're relieved."

The C-130 landed picked up it's cargo of troops and took off without letting its props stop turning. They were refueled in flight and continued onto the target site behind Chuck and Sarah's F-14s.

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Casey looked around and saw Sam with a pair of dark sunglasses. A cold chill ran down his spine when he saw they were intersect glasses. Where the heck did they come from and who knew how to make a pair? These were all things racing through his head but first he had to get them from Sam. At first Sam acted like she was going to put them on and Casey nearly freaked but he knew he had to say cool.

"No! Sam don't," said Casey. Kat looked at him like he was crazy. Already he was running around or better hobbling around with a pistol in his hand. Casey could tell he was freaking her out but it couldn't be helped. Sam looked at him with a puzzled expression turned her head sideways then put them on Mr. Rabbit.

"Yes much better," said Casey. "Kat we've got to get those glasses away from her. They aren't what they seem."

"What cheap sunglass? Are trying to scare me with some sort of joke? It's not funny" said Kathleen chastising him but he wasn't listening. Then he saw what he needed he saw Sam's ball. It was the one they used to play catch with so be picked it up.

"Sam, here catch," he said as threw it to her intentionally over her head so she had to get up and go get it. As soon as she moved he pounced on the glasses immediately breaking them. Sparks flew and the glasses smoked as he broke them in half.

"Hey, what kind of glass are those," asked Kathleen as she started to believe that that they weren't what they seemed and that they were actually dangerous. "Who'd send a baby something like that?"

"Someone sick and who has it out for Chuck and Sarah," said Casey as he examined the glasses. They were and they weren't intersect glasses. They just didn't look like the ones he had seen before.

"Kay see boo-boo," said Sam pointing at the glasses in his pocket.

"Yes baby, Kay See boo-boo come with me," said Kathleen as she picked up Sam and took her in the kitchen giving her one of the cookies she had just made that had cooled down. Kathleen was going to ask him more about them when she saw him talking on his phone to someone about them.

"Tell General Beckman Colonel Casey needs to talk to her right away and I don't care what war she's planning. You can tell her I'm about to launch my own full out ground assault if she doesn't get on this line right now and you can add with all due respects to that threat."

"John is there anything I can do?" said Kathleen as she feed Sam another cookie which she took with a big smile.

"No I'm hold for Langley after I get off the line I'm going to take you two into Castle for lock down. This place has been compromised we can't stay here."

"John if Castle has any of the things you have in your place do you think it's safe for a baby like Sam who can escape from her room without being detected or open boxes. John how did she open that box? If it was taped shut how did she open it? I mean most packages come sealed."

"I don't know but you're right," said John as he examined the box but as he did the General came on the line. "Sorry General I've got you on speaker I'm in the middle of an investigation."

"Investigation? What investigation? You're supposed to be convalescing. Colonel I've got crap hitting the fan up North and I don't have time for games here."

"General someone sent a pair of intersect glass here belay that they sent them to the Buy More," said Casey as he held up the box with a packing label addressed to Chuck at the Buy More. Casey pulled out a letter inside. It was from Big Mike.

'_Bartowski, the next time you order fool 3-D glasses make sure you're around to receive them. I don't have time to mess around receiving your idiot merchandise. I hope you didn't pay for these fool things with corporate funds. I'm going to drop them off on your door step on my way to Salsa lesson with my lovely wife ___Bolonia___ Garcia Bougainvillea ___Grimes___ Tucker, Morgan's momma. We're going to make some Bolognese sauce, squeeze some fresh tomatoes and grind some meat, muy caliente if you know what I mean.' _

"Colonel this is important are you sure they're intersect glasses?"

"What ma'am," said Casey as he glanced down at his watch and he understood what happened. "Yes and no they are definitely intersect but I've never seen anything like these and when I broke them they sparked and smoked."

"You broke them? Why am I not surprised," said the General with a disparaging tone. "I'll send a recovery team to pick them up from you. The best thing you can do right now is stay put and try not to break anything else."

"General any report on Alex or Morgan," said Kathleen. "I'm sorry I'm just concerned I haven't heard from them, I mean we haven't heard from them."

"I can tell you Chuck and Sarah are in route to their current location and I'm expecting an update shortly. Listen I know it's not easy being the one to wait by the phone. I'm sorry I wish I could tell you more but until I know something for certain it's best we don't start jumping to conclusions and suppositions. Colonel, can you take me off speaker we need to have a private chat."

"Yes General," said Casey as he started to push the button.

"Wait one Colonel. Ms. McHugh I don't know if this helps but Chuck, Sarah, Alex, the Colonel and Morgan are soldiers in a war. Not one that you'll read about in a newspaper or watch on television at six o'clock but they, we're at war against a foe that hides and attacks from the shadows. He's a coward and lashes out at the weak. It's our job to make sure that's where he stays and that we diligently and with perseverance push that darkness back. Ours is a thankless job, one where there are no laurels at the end, no praise, no glory there is just duty and the knowledge that we did what had to be done. Now Colonel we need to have our little chat.

"Thank you General," said Kathleen. "I need to take Sam in the back and change her so you guys can talk all you want."

"Okay ma'am you're off speaker," said Casey after he switch speaker off, "I take it there's more you want to tell me."

"Listen you might want to gently prepare Ms. McHugh for bad news. The situation is your team went dark and they're disappearance has to do with Santa's Workshop which you and I know is located above the sixty ninth parallel past the DEW line."

"The only way I know about it is that it was in that dossier you sent me at Travis. What the hell were you people thinking trying to build another intersect computer anyway? Especially without Chuck knowing. Who was in charge of that project anyway Santa Claus or one of his elves, maybe Rudolph but none of you were very bright?"

"I found out about it after it was already funded and under construction. This was all done before I became acting director. I knew the way Agents Bartowski would react so I simply ignored it and just read their progress reports and they were making some good headway until today."

"What happened today?" asked Casey a he glanced down the corridor to Sam's room to make sure Kathleen was still inside.

"The facility went dark."

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Chuck and Sarah were coming in low kicking up snow behind them as low to the deck as they were flying. They were coming into range soon so they had to begin to put together an attack strategy. But there was naturally a little disagreement on who was to do what.

"Wingman I want you to follow me in. The missile batteries are set up on the four corners we'll come into it like a diamond I break right you fire then break left then we both lay down chaff. We circle around for another pass same formation taking out the missile battery on the right breaking left to the battery we took out before circling back landing. Once we're on the ground we can recover Alex and Morgan and be off again."

"Sounds like a plan but I think you should follow me in then we do everything you talked about Squadron leader. I'm better equipped to draw fire for you and you're better at shooting things we both know that."

"Remember Chuck, wingman, squadron leader if you argue we're not going to get anywhere so you follow me and break like I said and no I don't want to hear about 'use the force, Luke'."

"Just saying…"

"No Chuck, Wingman, Squadron Leader now get behind me and we'll start our approach." Just then the message started playing about them violating restricted airspace and that they should turn around or deadly force would be used.

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Meanwhile, down on the ice…

"Alex, stay awake, don't sit down. Come on get up we've got to keep moving," said Morgan as he tried to get her up. "Come on you don't want me to have to tell your father that you gave up that you were a quitter?"

"Come on Morgan let me sit down for a little bit, aren't you tired? My legs feel so heavy and I can't feel my hands."

"I'll take care of that," said Morgan as he ran to one of the dead men grabbed the man's weapon and fired it into the snow. They'd already tired shooting the door but to no avail. "Here hold onto the barrel. It'll warm your hands up now let's keep on moving. Come on Chuck and Sarah will be here soon and when we get home we'll all laugh about this over ice cream."

"Rocky Road, Sam and Sarah's favourite. Personally I could go for a hot fudge or just plan something warm. Morgan I feel so very cold."

"Come here," said Morgan as he hugged her then kissed her.

"Morgan I love you I need to tell you that before… well before… You know what I mean," said Alex as she sat down.

"Oh no you don't miss you're going to get right back up and start moving there's no sitting down on the job here."

"Morgan I can't, I just can't anymore," said Alex as she started to cry but her tears crystalized on her cheeks.

"Then I'm going to sit down right here next to you. I can't think of living in a world without you. We both walk out of here or neither of us does."

"I can't Morgan, I really can't," said Alex as Morgan tried to pull her up. She cried as she got up again and trudged a little more. Her legs felt like they were locking up and she could no longer bend then at the knee so she was walking stiffed legged.

Alex knew the end was coming soon and she didn't want to take Morgan with her so she pulled out her pistol. She decided the next time Morgan turned his head she'd do it just one quick fluid motion then it would all be over and he could continue on without trying to keep her going. He'd be able to save himself at least.

"Funny isn't it back at Ladd, you had to yell at me to keep me going not I've got to do the same? We make a good team you and me. Hey I think I see something," said Morgan as he turned holding his hands up over his eyes to shield them from the reflection off the snow. "I think it's them. They're here!"

But Alex wasn't listening she was focused on what she had to do. The moment he turned his head she closed her eyes and raise her pistol to her temple.

"Sorry Morgan, I love you," she said.

"No," yelled Morgan as he turned around and dove on top of her knocking her to the ground. The gun went off making a deafening sound. Alex felt the heat from the blast and a burning sensation next to her head. Her ears rang as she went off into oblivion. Just then two F-14s came roaring in full throttle, the missile batteries became hot and the one closest to them launched a patriot missile before it was hit by an AIM-7 Sparrow.

Morgan shielded Alex from the blast with his body then dragged her close to the flames. One positive thing was the raging fire warmed them. Morgan brushed back her hair and kissed her wound as she slowly came to.

"What happened," said Alex as she opened her eyes. "Are we both dead?"

"Look around does this look like heaven and no this isn't a missing episode of 'Lost'. Don't you ever do anything that stupid again or I'll kill you."

"Now who sounds like my father? The fire," said Alex feeling strangely warm. "How did you set the fire?"

"I didn't I told you Chuck and Sarah would come for us," said Morgan as he pointed out the circling F-14s." Just then two more missile batteries went hot and warning sirens went off before firing missiles.

"We've got to help them," said Alex as she got up grabbed one of the downed guards MP5s and opened fire at the missile battery but it was it was like they were like gnats fighting a giant the bullets just ricocheted off.

"Out of the way," yelled Morgan as he knocked her down just before a AIM-7 Sparrow missile slammed into the battery and a fireball erupted.

"Morgan you've got to stop knocking me over," said Alex as she rolled him off the top of her and tried to get up but her feet slipped out from under her and she fell back down on top of him.

"Oh-woohhh," said Morgan as she basically flopped down on top of him making a loud thud. "I will if you stop trying to get yourself killed."

"Look at that," said Alex pointing to one of the F-14s.

"I would if I could move," said Morgan. "You're still sitting on top of me."

"Oh sorry," said Alex as she got up then gave Morgan a hand. They both looked up in the sky at the two F-14s roaring in at over Mach two. The engine roar was deafening.

"I didn't know planes could manoeuvre like that," said Morgan as he watched one do what looked like a reverse turn. It was like in your car when you use the brake, clutch, hand brake to spin the car around.

"Crap he's not flying, he's falling the plane's stalled," said Alex as they both held their breath. "Come on restart."

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General Beckman was back in the situation room with a map pulled up of the area around Santa's Workshop. She was monitoring progress sitting on the edge of her chair. There were no visual images because the system at the workshop was still armed and they were locked out. So what pictures they received they received through Chuck and Sarah's F-14 along with information computers at Langley could glean from telemetric data that was sent back for the two aircrafts.

"Warbirds have made initial contact with defence perimeter; system at site has auto-activated. I have confirmation via Sat that patriot missile batteries have gone hot. Missile launched." The man paused typing in a keyboard in front of him.

"And?" barked the General. "You can give up sports casting a backup career. Who shot what at whom man? I need to know."

"Yes ma'am there just too much confusion going on and it's taking time to process a clear picture. We just can't keep up with the data stream."

"I'll give you confusion, the stream we're navigating is full of excrement and we seem to lack a means of moment. Get me answers now!" yelled the General then she turned to a man on at the Comms station. "Major what's Delta Force's jump status? We need ground support in right away."

"Their Captain says just give him the green light they're ready to go anytime."

"Roger that at least someone I can rely on. Good give him the go ahead. Green light for the jump and Godspeed."

"I've got the internal computer at the workshop to recognize our satellites again. Moving a bird over the top now we should have video. We're up on the big screen in three, two, one." The screen came on in the middle of the aerial assault.

"You can't do that it a plane, can you?" said the General's Aid thinking out loud.

"Jesus Christ," said Beckman.


	12. Chapter 12

Don't own Chuck

Chuck followed Sarah in for the first wave as they planned. The computer played its recorded message of impending doom as fire control radars locked on their position and warning alarms sounded in their cockpits. Pushing their aircraft to maximum they flew straight into the beast. Sarah broke right as they planned at the last minute to draw fire. The missile battery fired at her but by staying close behind the computer read them as being only one bogey. Chuck fired a short cannon burst taking out the missile that the battery had just launched then took the battery out with an AIM-7 Sparrow. He broke right and both launched chaff in their wake to cover their trail as they circled back round for another pass but the radars weren't fooled this time. Batteries right and left fired missiles after them.

"Crap I've got a bogey on my six," radioed Sarah. Chuck check his radar and realized she wasn't going to be able to get rid of it or out run it and there wasn't time to swing a 360 back even if he could with the patriot he had breathing down his tail exhaust.

"Hold on I'm coming," said Chuck as he flashed a flash within a flash this was a new one. "George Lucas eat your heart out I'm coming "the Force is strong with this one."

"Chuck no don't," screamed Sarah in the radio she had no idea what he was about to do other than it would be dangerous and stupid. But she had no time she was trying to used counter electronic measures but nothing was working.

"I hope Grumman you put this bird together well time to do a bolt and screw test," saidChuck as he executed a 180 in mid-flight. He raised his spoileron increasing the drag on one wing which caused the aircraft to yaw which he compensated with his rudder. Since the roll and yaw motion are both to the wing with he had to raise his spoileron. His plane literally flipped around which almost caused a G-LOC in him he had a greyout loosing almost all color vision, his world became black and white along with momentary double vision.

"Crap I'm never going to complain about flashing again," he said as he hoped he was shooting at the right target. "Fox one away," radioed Chuck as he fought to stay conscious firing cannons to destroy the missile on his tail and launched an AIM-7 Sparrow killing the patriot on Sarah's tail. However, in doing his crazy maneuver his plane shook violently, warning lights illuminated his console like a Christmas tree and all sorts of bells went off as the aircraft sputtered then stalled. His plane started tumbling in a free fall to earth.

"Chuck jettison," scream Sarah but she didn't have much time because the remaining three batteries ignored Chuck assuming he was dead and began to illuminate her for another round.

"Okay intersect we need some multi-tasking we're not dead yet," Chuck said to himself. He still had fire control and was working at getting his engines back up. Scared, yes he was but he didn't have time to be afraid.

"Fox one away one, away two," He fired without having a clear visual on his targets but he flashed taking out two of the three batteries left. A flash within a flash within a flash a record.

"Chuck forget about the fricken batteries bail out," radioed Sarah but by now he was too close to the surface and his ground proximity alarm was screaming but he fought on trying to get his engines back on line. He was almost at the point of no return, white powder from the snow he was kicking up almost touching his bubble canopy when his engines finally sputtered then kicked in. He was able to fire thrusters pulling up at the last minute. As Chuck gained altitude Sarah came along side to inspect him and his aircraft.

"You just had to show off didn't you? Just wait until I get you on the ground," radioed Sarah as she cleared the lump in her throat.

"That actually sounds like a delightful invitation but I don't think we have time. Besides we might scare the seals."

"Oh you're impossible. I love you, you idiot," said Sarah. Just then there was an explosion and fire engulfed the last missile battery.

"You didn't think we were going to let you guys have all the fun," radioed Captain Jones. "The facility is ours and we've got two little snow birds we're warming up but other than them we're by ourselves down here. Looks like everyone's gone other that a few guards."

"Roger that but we still need a head count," said Chuck, "Squadron leader, do you want to set down first?"

"We'll take this conversation to the ground," said Sarah as she rolled then banked swinging round and made her approach followed by Chuck.

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Casey met an Agent in the courtyard and handed him the glasses along with the box they were shipped in. Kathleen stood in the apartment and watched the hand off as Sam played in the middle of the floor but she was getting a little board of tossing the ball at Mr. Rabbit and he being rude by not tossing it back. Needless to say the game was short lived and then she was looking for something else to do.

"Where are you going," asked Casey as he came back in the apartment to find Sam on the other side of the door.

"I didn't see her get up," said Kathleen obvious worried staring out the window holding her coffee cup. "Have you seen my coffee?"

"Yes, it's in your hand," said John as he snatched up Sam making her giggle. "I know you're worried so am I but being anxious won't help anything. Come on let's go outside in the courtyard. Sam could use the fresh air and so could you."

"Maybe you're right but I just can't help it," she said as she followed them outside. The air was nice and fresh John was right it helped but the worry was still there.

Casey was trying to find the words and the right time to start a conversation with her. He hoped he'd never would have to have but as time passed without any word the possibility for a good solution was getting less and less probable. No she had to be told, it was just right. This wasn't something that could be sprung on her from one moment to the next but he had no idea what to say, let alone how to even initiate the conversation.

"You know Morgan and Alex, they make a good team together," said Casey as he sat down on the fountain stretching out his stiff leg.

"I bet that cost you a lot to admit," said Kat as she watched Sam try to catch butterflies. "This must be their migratory season there seem to a lot lately."

"Migratory season for what?" said Casey. He had been too busy thinking about what to say and how to say it to notice what was going on.

"Butterflies, see Sam is trying to catch them. Now who is the distracted one," said Kathleen. "John is there something you want to tell me because if there is just come out and say it. You know how I feel about beating around the bush?"

"No, I mean yes, I mean oh crap I don't know what I mean," said Casey as he got tongue tied. "What I wanted to talk to you about is-" But he never finished what he was about to say because his phone rang and checking he saw it he saw that it was the General.

"Is that General Beckman?" asked Kathleen as she looked down at his phone and saw the General's picture on the screen.

"Yeah it is," said Casey looking down at it wondering if he should answer it with Kathleen around. What if it was bad news? But Kat made the decision for him.

"Well answer it," said Kathleen. "Anything is better than this waiting. Go ahead whatever we have to say can wait. Really go ahead."

Casey wasn't whole heartedly sure if that was true or not but he answered it putting the call on speaker. If it was bad news then the General could be the one to break it. Sometimes it's necessary to make a strategic retreat in order to gather strength before attacking again or that was his excuse for wanting the General to be the bearer of bad news.

"General you need to know I've got you on speaker and Ms. McHugh is sitting next to me so what have you got to tell us?" At first they couldn't make out what the General was saying because there was loud screaming in the background and cheering. "I'm sorry but we can't make out what you said. Can you please repeat?"

"Wait let me go inside one of the booths," said the General. They could hear the sound of her moving then a door opening then closing. "There that should be better, how do you read me now?""

"Loud and clear fire away General," said John as he reached over and took Kathleen's hand holding the phone between them.

"Good news, Chuck and Sarah along with a team from Delta Force were able to retake the laboratory. The facility is back in our hands and I've ordered the Delta Force commander to secure it until we can get a new team up there. We now believe that this was a ploy to break a man out of the facility, Dr. _Manoosh_ Depak.

"Doctor? The man was a MIT dropout all be it a software genius. But we had him working for us after he was contracted by the ring to reverse engineer the Intersect. What the hell was he doing up there to begin with?"

"I don't know I had some people look into it and it seems that Clyde Decker had him brought in from one of our dark sites. Decker gave him free rein up there all he had to do was produce. When Decker died so did his watch dog so he's been basically operating without any one checking on him. Ms. McHugh naturally none of this information can be shared with anyone."

"General I have no idea what you're talking about I only care about how Alex and Morgan are. You've talked a lot about this operation but so far you haven't mentioned them. Are they okay?" asked Kathleen as she squeezed John's hand.

"I'm sorry I guess it's just a force of habit putting mission first but they're fine. Agents Bartowski picked them up and are in route to Elmendorf where they're to pick up their Learjet for return transport to Burbank. I would assume they'll be making contact soon. Colonel, if Manoosh made those glasses he's a significant threat. I've alert our forces in Alaska to be on the lookout for the Antonov, a plane like that just can't disappear."

"General, I know Crazy Ivan and the way he thinks. If you want to find him you have to look at the most improbable route, one where you're most likely to get killed and that's the route he'll take."

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Chuck taxied over next to Sarah's F-14 where she was already out waiting for him. He could tell by the way she paced and the look on her face he was in the doghouse but he had no regrets. He did what he had to do for her and if called upon he'd have done even more. He pulled up alongside then powered down opening the canopy he took off his helmet and left it in his seat as he climbed out.

"I know what you're going to say but I had no choice. You weren't going to be able to out run that missile and chaff wasn't working like we planned."

"I don't know if I should hug you or hit you for that stunt you pulled up there. This isn't Star Wars and these aren't Tie Fighters."

"I think you mean X-wing Starfighters that was Luke's ship with R2D2 on board but if you think about the intersect..."

"Oh, can't you be serious! You know the stress you put on the wings doing that dumb butt maneuver? One or both could've shear off then what would you've done? And why when I tell you to do something you never do it? Squadron leader, wingman, remember I told you to bail and what did you do?"

"I shot down a missile that was going to take you out then I took out both missile batteries because I won't let anyone or anything hurt you as long as I can help it. Now can I have that hug?" said Chuck as he put his arm around her.

"I hate you… but I also love you," said Sarah as she kissed him. "I should know better than to ask this but please don't do anything like that again."

"I think you're right," said Chuck a Sarah punched him in the shoulder, "Ouch!"

"I've seen some crazy crap before and I thought I'd seen just about anything a plane could do but Chuck you take the cake," said Captain Jones as he walked over with Alex and Morgan. "I heard what Sarah said about the wings and she's right but what I'd like to know is how you fought off blacking out from the G-LOC? I've seen seasoned pilots in the centrifuges at Holloman pass out under less Gs."

"I just stayed focused on what I had to do but I have to admit I had a bit of greyout and a little double vision but my on board computer was functioning perfectly," said Chuck as he pointed to his head. Sarah and Morgan understood what he was talking about.

"Well the first thing you're going to do when we get back home is have a physical and I don't want to hear any whining about needles. Alex, Morgan we need to get you two suited up so we can head out.

"Alex if you don't mind I think I'd prefer to fly with Sarah," said Morgan as he looked over at Chuck. "Nothing personal."

"Oh little buddy I'm hurt, there won't be any acrobatics on the way back and once we make Elmendorf we pick up our Learjet then it's home, piece of cake."

"I don't want to say anything Chuck but you know how I feel about flying and after seeing you fly today well let's just say my nerves and heart condition would feel better if I flew with Sarah."

"I don't care but Morgan you don't have a heart condition," said Sarah as she looked at him strange trying to figure out what he was getting at.

"I know and I'd like to keep it that way, Alex do you mind flying with Chuck, please for me."

"I've got no problem; we've already flown together through a snow storm so this is like you said a piece of cake."

"Morgan," said Alex as she pulled him off to the side, "I don't want you to say anything about what I almost did. This stays between us, okay? And I especially don't want my father to know. He'll think I was weak and go on about female emotions."

"Sure my lips are sealed," said Morgan, "but I don't think you were weak and well what other kind of emotions are you supposed to have other than female?"

"Thanks you're the greatest," she said as she kissed him on the cheek.

"And if I catch you doing something crazy like that again there'll be no bullets for you miss for a long time," he said as he kissed her back. Just then they called them over to set suited up for the retuned flight and a half hour later they were ready to leave.

"Okay you're already to go," said Chuck as he checked his navigator out. "Here's your helmet let me check the strap."

"Ouch," said Alex as Chuck accidently touched her graze wound near her temple. "I'll take care of it myself."

"Okay just make sure it's on tight," said Chuck as he gave her a look. He could tell it was a gunshot graze from the powder burns which also indicated it was fired up close. It didn't take him long to figure out what had happened but that was something they could deal with when they were alone in the air.

"Well Captain Jones or whatever your real name is it's been a pleasure and if you're ever in Burbank drop by and look us up. There's a bottle of single malt twenty year old waiting for you with your name on it."

"Looks like I've got a reason to drop by California," said the Captain as he shook their hands. "But your Boss has us babysitting up here for the duration so it may take a while before I get to down to the forty-eight."

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They said their goodbyes then got up in the air heading back South down past the DEW line. Outside of Fairbanks they were refueled by a _KC_-135 Stratotanker then proceeded south-west between Mount McKinley and Mount _Foraker._

_"__Sarah, do you see that plume of smoke_ off your two o'clock. I don't think it's a fire not with all this snow or at least I wouldn't think."

"You right, it's not that far off our flight path that we can't take a look. I'll radio it in to Elmendorf," said Sarah. "Elmendorf Tower Control," she radioed then gave them her call sign, "we're investigating a plume of smoke between Mount McKinley and Mount _Foraker rising in the Foraker pass."_

_"__Roger that, there was a report in from local authorizes about a loud noise and flames in the sky. Some idiot claimed it was and alien invasion but the roads up there are still blocked because to the storm. I think the rangers would appreciate a heads up if they need to dispatch first responders."_

_"__Tower Control this is wingman," radioed Chuck breaking into the towers conversation with Sarah. "I'm over the site. It's a crash site and we need to send first responders. We've found our missing plane but looking at the debris no one walked out of it. Forget the rangers we need to handle the cleanup. You can pass that information on up to our Boss."_

_"__Roger out. Do we need to take any special precautions," asked the tower wondering what kind of cargo the pane could've been carrying."_

_"__I don't know if they'll be able to but we're going to need a DNA match on the victims. Have them label and send the samples back to Langley."_

_"__Roger that Tower Control out."_

_"__There's nothing we can do here," radioed Chuck as they made one last pass over the site looking for movement but seeing none or at least nothing human. The only movement was a pack of wolves descending on the crash site for a home cooked meal._

_They turned back south and set headings once more for _Elmendorf and about a half hour later Chuck muted his mic.

"Alex is there anything you'd like to talk about seeing as we've got time. Don't worry I've muted the mic so they can't hear us. It's just the two of us up here."

"No, I don't have anything to say, why do you have something you want to talk about? I know I didn't follow your orders and we could've gotten hurt going out after those guys but I told you why."

"I know you did and that's not what I wanted to talk to you about although I probably ought to but the truth is you didn't do anything I wouldn't have but I think there's something else we need to….well maybe not we but something you might want to get off your chest."

"No, no I can't think of anything. Is there supposed to be?" said Alex wondering if Morgan hadn't broken his promised and Chuck knew.

"Nothing huh? Well when we get to the Lear you might want to get the med kit and clean your head wound. Gunpowder residue can cause a wicked infection."

"How'd you know? Morgan, I'm going to kill him he was supposed to keep his mouth shut. He promised me he wouldn't…"

"Hold on, don't get mad at Morgan. He didn't tell me anything I noticed your wound when you were putting your helmet on. When a weapon is discharged up close the skin gets charred and the gunpowder burns the flesh. You must've been desperate. Listen I'm not judging you. I've done crazy things for Sarah or that's what other people have told me including Sarah. But you know what? I'd do them all over again if I had to."

"You would? You've got no regrets then?" asked Alex. She had never felt so close to Chuck as then. She'd always been teamed up with Sarah except once and she remembered thinking then that he was intensely in love with Sarah.

"Absolutely and if you ask me why the only thing I can tell you is I love her. It's that simple and I think you feel the same way for Morgan because if you didn't you wouldn't have tried to do what you tried to do. Oh and as a by the way I'm glad you failed. I know Morgan is."

"Thanks Chuck, I'm glad you're my friend. Well okay this is what happened," Alex said after she took a deep breath describing their situation as being desperate and how Morgan pushed her on but at a certain point she was afraid she was going to get them both kills so she decided to take herself out of the equation. "So there you have it that's what happened. Now should I put that in my report?"

"No, I think the last part we can leave out, but I'd put in how Morgan took charge and provided support. How the little guy pulled through in a crisis and I know John would like to hear that his diamond sparkled. I know he likes Morgan even though he gives him a lot of grief."

"I know he does too," said Alex.


	13. Chapter 13

Don't own Chuck

Chuck and Alex chatted for what seemed a long time; he was trying to make her understand that what had happened was normal, at least normal for spies like them. Alex appreciated that Chuck was talking to her as a colleague not talking over her head or down to her. He was treating her like she wanted her father to treat her, one of the team. In their short conversation Alex felt more a member of the team than she ever had before. But finally they had to stop when Sarah radioed.

"Chuck I just got our clearances to land from Elmendorf Tower Control. Did you have your mic on mute? I haven't heard any chatter from you and you're never this quiet not even in your sleep."

"So you have our clearances, good. You should radio back and make sure our Lear is ready to leave, I want to get home as soon as possible and I think you do too. Alex," radioed back Chuck, "I think you need to check in with Kathleen. We can do all that from the Lear let's just load up and go I for one am tired of snow."

"Oh crap you're right, Mom is going to kill me for not calling sooner. What am I supposed to say I forgot?"

"No, you weren't able to and that's the truth. You haven't been anywhere with comms capability to contact her and you won't be until we get on the Lear," said Sarah. It didn't escape her that Chuck had dodged the question about muting his mic but if it were important he'd tell her. "Chuck I hate to tell you but it's also about time we check in with Langley and Beckman."

"We'll do all that from the Lear right now she's not my favorite person and on my list of priorities right now she's almost at the bottom so as far as I'm concerned she can wait."

They changed planes in Elmendorf but before taking off they received confirmation that the debris they had sighted was in fact what was left of the Antonov and there were no survivors. Once in the air they proceeded south following the Pacific coast down past Tongass National Forest and Revillagigedo Island then entered Canadian airspace before re-entering the US by flying across Vancouver and into Washington State. In the sky there were no bounders, no signs that say welcome or goodbye to just and infinite blue dotted with clouds.

"Let me go get Alex before we call back home so she can talk to Kathleen," said Chuck as he started to get up from his co-pilot seat.

"Wait there's something I want to talk to you about. Listen, this thing with Santa's Workshop has got me thinking about how much we can trust Beckman and the agency. Chuck, I want to quit. I gave my life to the CIA for a really long time and I chose it over my family and my friends, and that was the right thing for me to do at the time, but I'm different now. You know things have changed. You've changed me. Sam's changed me. I'm tired I don't want to go back to the way things were. I want to tell Beckman to pack sand we're done once and for all.

"Well if we have to make the break now would be a good time to do it. Our company is strong we've got a global presence. Alex is trained now she can work on her own or with Morgan. Casey and Kathleen seem to be connecting. Truthfully there's nothing the agency doesn't give us that we can't get on our own."

"Do you think Beckman will let us go? I mean I know what you had to give her for her to bring me back but that was almost three years ago. How much more blood can she expect?"

"Well it's not like we won't be working with her ever again. She could still contract us like our other clients and in the end it might even be cheaper for the agency. The same way they contracted out services in Iraq or the way they're augmenting civilians with military personnel."

"So you agree with me about this move to strike out on our own," said Sarah as she glanced over at Chuck. "This is a big decision and I can understand if you want to take some time to think it over, especially after what happened the last time."

"We don't need Beckman's business and we don't need the big house because all we need is each other. All I need is you and Sam nothing else matters to me. You two are my universe and there isn't anything I wouldn't do for you two so if this is what you want then let's do it, let's break out on our own. The question is when do we tell the others?"

"I think we should wait until we get back and break the news to everyone in Castle then forward our letters of resignation to General Beckman effective immediately along with a map where to file them."

"Break what news to whom? Map to where Chuck?" said Morgan as he and Alex came into the cockpit. "Sarah's pregnant again? Congratulations! I was just telling Alex that it was about time that Sam gets a brother or sister. Personally I'm rooting for a boy, Morgan or Morgana you may remember. I mean look at me see what happens when you don't have siblings." They all laughed.

"That should be incentive alone but no Morgan I'm not pregnant. There just something we want to talk to everyone about when we get back. Speaking of talking Alex you should be thinking about calling Kathleen. I know she's worried about you she was before we left and with Casey back with her she might be even more."

"Here let me help you get everything set up," said Chuck as he sync'd the SatCom link between their jet and Echo Park. I should have them up in a second."

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The three of them were just coming back inside from chasing butterflies. Sam was tired and wanted a pillow to sleep on but seeing as they were outside she did the next best thing she climbed up on Casey falling asleep in his lap. They both laughed. Kathleen got up and picked Sam up she protested a little at the beginning but she was too tire to protest. Kat took Sam back inside and put her down to sleep in her bed while Casey rounded up their coffee cups taking them into the kitchen. He was washing them when Kat came back out.

"What would you like for supper, I'm cooking?" said Kathleen. "How about I make my meatloaf and gravy? You used to like it."

"What are talking about used to I still do. How about we add some mashed potatoes and we've got the meal all planned out?"

"If you want mashed potatoes soldier, you're going to have to peel them, a little KP duty would serve you right."

"First of all I'm a marine not a soldier different outfit all together but you know that. Secondly, officers don't pull KP duty but to be fair I think I can handle myself with a knife and potato not exactly the same as a knife fight with a commie spy but I think I can manage."

"John, there has to be enough potato left to boil," said Kathleen as they both started to laugh. "But you knew that you just wanted me to see the way I'd react. Okay fair payback for calling you a soldier."

"Yeah and you should've seen the look on your face. I need to run back to my place and get my K-bar if I'm going to kill those spuds."

"Hold up there my vegetable assassin," said Kathleen as she opened a pantry drawer and pulled out a vegetable peeler. "Why don't we start with this?" She handed it to him and he rotated it in his hands examining it.

"Doesn't look too deadly," said Casey but he remembered seeing something like it in a torturer's travel kit he took off a guy named Ali he killed outside of Damascus. But that was probably best not mentioned. As Kathleen was assigning chores the monitor in the living room flickered followed by static.

"Mom, Dad I wanted to call and tell you guys Morgan and I are safe. We're on our way back home right now. Where are we Chuck?"

"We just crossed over into US airspace and we should be in L.A. Burbank in a couple of hours. We heard something about meatloaf as I was sync'ing the connection. Sarah said she'd like some."

"Translated Chuck would too," said Sarah as she yelled from the pilot's seat. "John we've got some bad news for you the Antonov went down and we were told there were no survivors. We've got our team out of Adak along with the guys from Elmendorf combing the wreckage."

"Well sooner or later we all get the bullet but I know that if there was a way out that crazy Russian would find it. I need to tell you guys a couple of things. First I have to tell you I've known about the workshop since we left Travis but I couldn't say anything."

"John, I well, we figured as much. We understand you were ordered not to tell anyone and you thought that by not telling us you were protecting us because you love us Big Guy."

"Why you," grunted Casey. "You're lucky you're up there where I can't get at you and you'd be a waste of a good stinger besides there are too many bystanders."

"And you wouldn't want to hurt us because you love us," added Morgan jumping into the middle of their conversation.

"You're right Morgan. Casey just told you he loves you, I wish I had some way to record this. I wonder if I can get it off a spy satellite."

"Guys enough with quips and Bartowski keep it in your pants," said Casey, "I'll knock your heads together when you two get here. There's something else you need to know a pair of intersect glasses found their way here and Sam almost put them on."

"What! Is she alright? Who do I need to kill?" said Sarah as she let the plane drop but Chuck grabbed the yoke and pulled it back up. "Sorry, John what the hell happened? And why aren't you guys in a safe house?"

"Chill Sarah, I saw that old Sarah there for a while. Everything is under control, they were sent for you Chuck to the Buy More and Big Mike dropped them off on his way to Salsa lessons. Morgan he said his lessons with your mother were Muy Caliente, payback we know what it is, don't we?"

"Guys, back to the glasses," said Sarah, "what happened to them? They need to be examined there are only a couple of people who could've made them but they're…" Sarah stopped speaking and looked at Chuck. She realized he understood what she was thinking.

"Yeah that's right," said Casey, "Manoosh Depak was working for us at Santa's Workshop. This was all of Decker's doing before he got killed. He probably, at the instigation of Shaw, had the laboratory built in the North."

"Makes sense it would take care of the refrigeration problem with the download," said Chuck as he saw Sarah shiver thinking about the cold she felt in Castle back then. "I'm sorry," said Chuck as he looked over at her.

"Sorry for what, you saved me."

"Well technically Casey and I did, right Big Guy," said Morgan as he poked his head in front of the camera so there was a huge Morgan head that appeared on the screen.

"Can someone draw a circle on that then try and hit the bull's eye with a baseball bat. I know one of you can bat in a home run."

"Morgan move," said Chuck, "John you need to stay on top of the recovery team in Alaska. I asked them to run DNA tests on whatever remains that were found. Maybe we got lucky and Manoosh went down with the plane."

"You don't actually believe that do you? Because if you do I've got some prime real-estate in the swamps of Florida that I'd like to sell you for a low, low price."

"Thanks but no I don't but you can't blame a guy for want a break every now and then. Crap that blows the plan I guess," said Chuck as Sarah gave him an angry look. Casey looked angrier than normal he had an idea what the plan was.

"Morgan you never gave Chuck that device the man gave you before he had us kicked off the pane. He was a thin nerdy guy really nervous and acted insecure."

"If he looked and acted like Chuck that would've been Manoosh," said Casey still milling over in his head what this plan was and he didn't like it not one bit.

Morgan handed Chuck a small device that looked like a portable video game player. It could've been a Nintendo 3D or a PlayStation but this had sinister all written over it. Literally, Manoosh took a marker and wrote on the outside case 'sinister'. As soon as Chuck touched it; it started to play later Chuck figured it had been keyed to his DNA.

"_Hey Chuck long time no see well technically I can't see you but you can see me and that's all that matters. Just wanted to let you know I'll be dropping by to get caught up on old times soon. You know I had a lot of time to sit around and think about how you two screwed me and what I was going to do about it. Oh that's right I know how you two screwed me, Agent Decker told me that you and your partner stole my software and made a fortune off it selling it to the government after you had me arrested. I guess you didn't kill Decker in time because he told me everything and thank God for him. He pulled me out of that hole you sent me to and he gave me this nice lab to work in. And believe me I've been working. I've kept my head down and went along now it's time to show the world who Manoosh Depak really is and in part I owe this to you and Sarah. I hope you like my presents. Ta ta for now." _

"Looks like I've got a nemesis," said Chuck as what Depak sank in. "Manoosh has gone over to the dark side."

"We've got a nemesis," corrected Sarah, "and there are not light and dark sides. Manoosh made his bed when he sided with the Ring and now Decker even though he's dead. This was in the making for years. Casey, Manoosh mention presents but all you mentioned were one pair of glasses. Keep an eye open for other surprises we should be there soon and please keep my baby safe." Just then from the hall Sam came running.

"Momma," yelled Sam as she came running to the screen and tried to touch Sarah pounding on the screen with her little hands.

"Yes Momma, Momma loved Sam. I'll, we'll be there soon," said Sarah as Chuck moved the camera a little so he'd be in the picture too.

"You guys need to go. We'll make a big meatloaf and lots of mashed potatoes," said Kathleen as she held Casey's hand up with the potato peeler in it. "We'll wait for your guys to get in to eat."

"It could be late because we've got to go by Castle first. I want to put this player under lock and key so we can look at to more closely."

"Roger that just give us an ETA after you guys touch down. We can wait and I'll put some of that fancy wine you like in the fridge."

"Roger that thanks Big Guy. Bye, bye Sweet Pea," said Chuck as and Sarah blew kisses.

"Yuck, Roger that Casey out. Christ, those two don't know anything about proper radio protocol."

Sam stood in from of the monitor blowing kisses back then the monitor went blank. Sam was still blowing kisses when she looked at her hands then looked around on the floor in desperation.

"What is it?" said Casey but Kathleen stopped him. She realized what was going on but she was curious how Sam would resolve it. Sam took off like a dart back to her room then as she got to the doorway she dropped to the ground and crawled in. A moment later Mr. Rabbit came flying out and she crawled through the doorway grabbed Mr. Rabbit then came running back to them.

"That's amazing," said Kathleen as she watched Sam run by to go sit in the living room like she was waiting for her mother to come back on the screen as she played with Mr. Rabbit.

"Yeah, I guess we know how she's getting past the sensor. Chuck will be glad to know it's not his work that was faulty. The only think I can think is the sensor was on when you guys were changing her and the talcum powder somehow fell through in the doorway making the beam visible so she knew she had to go under it."

"That's amazing but I was talking about the fact that she realized the rabbit was missing then knew where it was and went to get it. Kids at her age only know what they see so not seeing Mr. Rabbit she should've thought the rabbit was gone forever. That's one of the terrors children have when they sleep because if they don't see it, it doesn't exist but not her. She's mentally much more advanced than other children her age. I guess it has to do with genes."

"Yeah genes it has to be... But if she's so smart why does she still poop in her pants," said Casey as he held her up and handed her to Kathleen.

"Mysteries of the universe."

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General Beckman got off her jet at O'Hare where a car and driver were waiting for her. She got in and they drove off leaving the airport then hitting the ring road for their destination. She opened the briefcase next to her and found the broken glasses inside. Taking them out she inspected them and confirmed to herself what the Colonel had said. They were definitely intersect glasses but more like the model Manoosh had produced for the ring.

"Ma'am we're here, do want your escort to follow you inside," asked her driver. She had two escort vehicles following her.

"They can station down in the lobby and if they want they can take turns in the cafeteria. Their coffee used to be halfway decent."

The car pulled up and she let herself out and walked straight in past reception and went up to the Neurology department. She walked right past the line of patients waiting in the reception area into the office with Dr. Eleanor Woobcomb written on it.

"Excuse me," said Ellie as she was looking down at her desk writing a note in a chart. "But I'm with a patient you'll have to…." She stopped talking when she looked up and saw it was the General.

"Mister, there's nothing wrong with you that a good days work won't take care of," said the General handing the man a C-note. "Here go get lost and make another appointment out front." The man got up slowly looking back and forth at both of them.

"Go ahead and make an appointment for next week," said Ellie as she tried to make sense out of this unexpected visit.

"Better make if for the week after next and tell her receptionist that the Doctor won't be seeing patients for the rest of the day."

"You're now trying to run my life like you run Chuck and Sarah's? I don't work for you General let's make that perfectly clear and I don't much like what you do with my brother and his wife."

"Dr. Woodcomb, Ellie, we have a problem," said the General ignoring what Ellie said sitting back in her chair.

"We have a problem? You're using the first person plural to indicate that we have a joint interest after what I just told you?" The General didn't say a word other then throw on her desk the intersect glasses. Ellie picked them up looked back at her then turned the two pieces she had in her hand.

"What do you say now Ellie?"

"Diane, we've got a problem."

The General gave Ellie the lowdown on the glasses. Where and how she got them along with whom she thought made them.

"Crap Sam almost put theses on I need to download their software programing to see what they do and for that I'll need Chuck. He's the only one I know who can put these things back together. But just from a visual observation there are more sensors then what a pair would need and while I have no doubt they're intersect glasses I don't see a way these things were supposed to download information into the brain. Listen whatever I tell you now is pure conjecture."

"That's more than I have right now so go ahead what can you tell me?"

"Well these sensors would connect to the part of the brain cortex that controls our movements, our senses, and our actions. These glasses could in theory give a person all the abilities that Chuck has but without downloading them. Put the glasses on, you're superman take them off you're Clark Kent."

"There's something else what is it?"

"This is pure conjecture on my part. I won't know this until I get the software off of these but it seems that these glasses can control a person. Say you put them on you have all the abilities of Chuck but you don't have those abilities someone else does and he's programmed what he wants you to do in your head. Think of the exorcist and Linda Blair but instead of spitting up pea soup and gyrating your head you're a martial arts expert someone else has programmed."

"The perfect assassin. Would the person who was possessed so to speak know they're being possessed?"

"I can't answer that question and what I just told you is pure speculation but that would account for the extra sensors. But I think you'd have a tin man, a man without a heart."

Continued Chuck vs The Tin Man


End file.
